The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has successfully completed a significant business mission to East Africa, focusing on Kenya and Tanzania. This mission brought together five trailblazing Malaysian tech firms, representing crucial sectors including animation, smart agriculture, education, cybersecurity, and fintech. This further strengthens MDEC’s position as a global driver of digital transformation.
With East Africa’s population exceeding 120 million, it stands as one of the most rapidly growing digital markets in the world, fueled by a young and tech-savvy population. MDEC’s mission was strategically aligned with Kenya’s Digital Economy Acceleration Project (KDEAP) and Tanzania’s Digitalisation Agenda 2034, two ambitious projects aimed at fostering socio-economic progress through technological advancements.
During the mission, several key achievements were realized:
- Strategic Partnerships: Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between Malaysian tech firms and local partners in Kenya and Tanzania.
- AI Smartual Learning and Agile Business Solution Limited: A USD 15M agreement to deploy AI-based learning tools to 25,000 schools, reaching 69% of Kenya’s educational institutions and revolutionizing access to quality education.
- Meraque Group and Webmaster Kenya Limited: A USD 1M partnership aimed at enhancing agricultural efficiency in Kenya through cutting-edge drone technology.
- Meraque Group and Digital Mobile Africa Limited: A USD 1.5M collaboration to improve agriculture in Tanzania through precision farming solutions powered by drones.
- Market Expansion: Malaysian tech companies uncovered potential market opportunities worth MYR 160 million in Kenya and Tanzania, targeting high-growth industries such as education, agriculture, fintech, animation, and cybersecurity.
- Cross-Border Collaboration: The mission facilitated over 160 strategic partnerships with local businesses, government entities, and ecosystem partners, laying the groundwork for sustained collaboration and innovation in the future.
Building on the success of this mission, MDEC plans to enhance partnerships by organizing reciprocal visits from Kenyan and Tanzanian leaders to Malaysia to showcase the nation’s innovative digital solutions. MDEC will also take part in GITEX Morocco 2025, a key event for promoting Malaysian tech solutions across Africa. Furthermore, MDEC is preparing for a follow-up business mission to East Africa in the third quarter of 2025 to explore new opportunities and strengthen existing collaborations.
Wan Murdani Wan Mohamad, Head of Digital Industry Acceleration at MDEC, who led the delegation, commented, “This mission highlights the importance of collaboration in establishing a robust digital economy. Through the Malaysia Digital (MD) initiative, we are aligning Malaysia’s strengths in digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and education technology with East Africa’s goals, creating a bridge for shared prosperity between the two regions.”
As Malaysia’s foremost digital economy agency, MDEC remains committed to empowering Malaysian tech companies to expand globally and make a meaningful impact on the digital transformation of emerging markets. Since 2017, MDEC has facilitated more than 1,200 business-matching opportunities, connected over 350 partners, and generated USD 2.5 billion in digital export revenue.
