The University of Malawi (UNIMA) presented findings in Lilongwe on 26 October from a study on the economic value of multilingualism in informal markets, carried out with the universities of Glasgow and Stirling and the British Academy.
The research covered markets in Mzuzu, Ekwendeni, Lilongwe, Chinsapo, Lunzu and Limbe and found they are multilingual spaces where speaking several languages helps traders attract customers, negotiate prices and close deals.
A Ministry of Education official praised the study’s value for trade with neighbouring countries. Co-Principal Investigator Dr Ahmmardouh Njaya noted that the informal sector provides a large share of employment in African economies.
