In July 2025, Malawi enacted the Companies, Registrations and Intellectual Properties Centre Act, establishing a new semi-autonomous agency — the Companies, Registrations and Intellectual Properties Centre — to take over the functions previously held by the Department of the Registrar General.

The same legislative package included the Copyright (Amendment) Act, which clarifies the administration of copyright under the new Centre while retaining COSOMA’s role in collective rights management.

What changes in practice

The Registrar General has historically been one of the more administratively challenging departments for foreign companies to deal with during company registration and related processes. Long processing times, unclear procedures, and limited digitalisation have been consistent complaints.

The creation of a semi-autonomous agency — with its own mandate, budget, and operational structure separate from the civil service — is intended to address these problems. Semi-autonomous agencies in Malawi have a mixed track record, but the model has worked reasonably well in revenue administration (Malawi Revenue Authority) and investment promotion (MITC).

The practical implications will become clearer as the Centre operationalises. Key questions include:

  • Processing times for company registration and amendments
  • Fee structures
  • Online submission capability
  • Interaction with the existing MITC investment approval process

Intellectual property protection

The inclusion of intellectual property in the Centre’s mandate is notable for foreign companies bringing proprietary technology, brands, or processes into Malawi. IP protection has historically been weak in enforcement terms, though the legal framework has been adequate in principle.

Whether the new Centre materially improves IP protection depends on enforcement capacity — which is a function of resources, training, and political will as much as legal structure.

Context: the 2024 Investment and Export Promotion Act

The Companies Act reform follows the enactment of the Investment and Export Promotion Act of 2024, which strengthened the MITC’s legal mandate and established clearer procedures for foreign investment approval. These two pieces of legislation together represent the most significant reform of Malawi’s business registration and investment facilitation framework in years.

Our read

We welcome the direction of travel. The Registrar General process has been one of the consistent friction points in Market Entry work. Whether the new Centre delivers meaningful improvements will depend on implementation — which we will be watching and reporting on as the Centre becomes operational.

Sources: Bridgepath Capital Monthly Economic Report, UNCTAD Investment Policy Monitor.