Minister of Labour Joel Chigona has commended the Tea Association of Malawi (TAML) for advancing digital wage payments in the tea sector.
He made the commendation in Salima District at the 2026 TAML and Partners Stakeholder Engagement Workshop.
Chigona described the initiative as a major step toward financial inclusion and improved workers’ livelihoods.
The minister said digitising wages promotes transparency, security, and access to formal financial services, while helping reach marginalised and frontline workers.
The minister has also commended TAML for reaching more than 20,000 workers through digital wage payments, with three estates fully digitised and additional estates in the process of joining the system.
TAML Board Chairperson Sangwani Hara said the industry is committed to ensuring that digital transformation benefits frontline workers.
Hara said digital wages have enhanced workers’ dignity by eliminating the need to travel long distances and queue at pay points, while also providing greater security and access to affordable credit.
The two-day workshop is being held under the theme “Building a Sustainable Tea Sector: Advancing Digital, Financial and Gender Inclusion.”
By Arthur Chokhotho
