Banking & Energy Access: Ecobank Malawi launched its Banking4Education value proposition and signed a Green Financing MoU with Sky Energy Africa to help schools and education businesses finance renewable energy, including solar. Inflation Watch: RBM deputy governor Kisu Simwaka says Malawi won’t reach single-digit inflation without tackling structural issues like forex shortages, climate-linked food shocks and weak policy coordination. Consumer Finance Promotions: NBS Bank’s “Kwakoma ndi ku NBS Bank” promotion kicked off with 598 customers winning prizes, including K1m each, plus solar lamps and speakers. Education Costs: Malawi’s public universities continue raising tuition—MUST and others have doubled fees for 2026/27, adding pressure on students and families. Skills & Jobs Pipeline: A World Bank-funded Skills for a Vibrant Economy project is upgrading community technical colleges with new workshops, ICT labs and girls’ hostels to boost vocational training. WASH Reform Pressure: Experts at a joint WASH sector review in Lilongwe warn financing gaps and coordination problems could derail Malawi’s 2030 water and sanitation targets. SME Banking Push: NBS rebranded its SME unit as “Business Banking,” offering collateral-free guarantees, bid bonds and renewable-energy financing. Power Reliability: Malawi’s battery energy storage plans aim to stabilise a grid hit by storms and outages, protecting business continuity. Relief Fundraising: Namadingo, Lulu and Mikozi drove a PayChangu-fuelled push to raise over K24m in 72 hours for stranded Malawians returning from South Africa. Governance & Land: A Lilongwe land whistleblower alleges an irregular 30-hectare allocation to a single investor, reigniting scrutiny of land administration. Tobacco Pricing Pressure: Malawi’s tobacco growers face depressed prices and rising costs, with officials urging fairer policies to protect livelihoods.