The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Corporation (SMEDCO) will, from November 2026, take its business advisory services directly to market vendors and small business owners in a new initiative aimed at improving business management and growth among small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
SMEDCO Chief Executive Officer Kondwani Kachamba Ngwira announced the initiative on Monday, October 26, 2026, during a meeting with regional managers and business advisory officers at the corporation’s head office in Area 6, Lilongwe.
The meeting was organised to orient the officers on the new approach, which seeks to make business advisory services more accessible by taking them directly to markets and other busy business centres across the country.
During the meeting, Kachamba made a presentation titled “Taking Business Counselling to the Market,” outlining how the corporation intends to reach entrepreneurs where they conduct their daily business activities.
Under the initiative, business advisory officers will establish SMEDCO-branded tents in busy markets across all regions to provide business owners and vendors with information on financial literacy, business planning, business formation, pricing and costing, record-keeping, stock management and tax awareness, among other essential business skills.
Kachamba said the initiative was intended to change how the corporation delivers its services by ensuring that business owners could easily access professional guidance without having to visit SMEDCO offices.
“We want people to easily find SMEDCO where they do their business. You as officers should be on the ground, not people looking for you for services,” Kachamba said.
As part of the new working arrangement, business advisory officers will spend Monday to Wednesday working in markets and other busy areas, engaging vendors and business owners and helping them understand how to manage and grow their businesses.
Thursdays will be dedicated to following up on issues raised by business owners and resolving challenges identified during market visits, while Fridays will be used for reporting to regional offices before the reports are submitted to SMEDCO headquarters.
Kachamba further said he would personally inspect the implementation of the initiative in different areas to assess progress and ensure that the intended objectives were being achieved.
To improve identification and communication with local communities, SMEDCO headquarters has already provided branded tents featuring local languages, including Chiyawo for Mangochi and Chitumbuka for the Northern Region.
The corporation has also provided T-shirts and laptops to support officers in delivering the services.
The initiative is expected to bring business development support closer to entrepreneurs, particularly those who may face difficulties accessing formal business advisory services from offices.
Through direct engagement with market vendors and small business owners, SMEDCO aims to equip entrepreneurs with practical knowledge to strengthen business operations, improve financial management and support the growth of small and medium enterprises in Malawi.
