Malawi to start assembling mobile phones

Malawi is expected to roll out a mobile phone that will be assembled in the country by the end of the year.

The mobile phone named ETG, is designed and assembled here in Malawi by a company called Emerging Technologies Group (ETGE).
However, most of the components are made in China and shipped into the country.

Managing Director for ETGE, Yohane Mwandira said the company intends to introduce the product on the market as soon as mid November or early December this year with model prices ranging from 7 to 20 thousand kwacha.

“If all goes well and we get the proper components in good time we expect to have it on the market by mid-November or December,” he said.
Mwandira also said that he hopes that the assembly of the phone in the country will help to create job opportunities in the country.

“This is a good opportunity to create employment for the people of the country although we do not have a big assembly plant we believe we will still need people to work there,” said Mwandira.

Meanwhile an economist Ben Kalua says this is a step in the right direction since the product being produced is one that is vital in this century.

ETG was launched in the 2009 and it is an electronics company that handles various electronic goods but a noticeable product is the phone which it plans to introduce.