Data Must Fall campaigners say they are still waiting for a further reduction in data prices in the country to match the current economic situation.

Coordinator for Digital Inclusion Campaign Project, Venetia Kamulete argues that Malawians continue to face challenges to purchase internet data due to the impact of economic instability.

This comes after revelations by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) that Malawi is ranked the highest in Africa where data is the cheapest, and 29th in the world.

Kamulete stresses that it is becoming hard for an average Malawian to buy internet data in the country due to economic challenges facing the country.

She calls on the government to put in effort to reduce data costs by among others; fulfilling plans to install commercial internet cables through electricity power lines from sea-coasts of Namibia through Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique.

“We are waiting on the government as they said they wanted to get internet cables directly into the country, so as to help reduce the prices of data in the country. Practically on the ground things are not as easy as they seem, students are the ones facing most challenges,” said Kamulete.

Kondwani Hara, Project officer at Center for Social Concern agrees that the economic status of most Malawians is below par to afford data costs.

“These statistics hide the actual status on the ground. Even if you can compare between internet cost and income amid the price of a Gigabyte being cheaper. About 70 percent of Malawians live below the poverty line, so even the low internet prices are not effective,” says Hara.

Minister of Information and Digitalization, Moses Kunkuyu has expressed commitment to continue ensuring that Malawians, especially in rural areas, access affordable and high speed internet.

“It is a greater achievement. It has taken a strong political will to reach where we are. Let us applaud the government for what we have achieved while we are now dreaming bigger. We take internet connectivity to the most remote parts of the country, so that every Malawian has access to the internet," said Kunkuyu.

Malawi’s internet penetration is currently at 36.9 percent, according to Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA).