* Crowned Leading ICT Solutions Provider of the Year, while its founder & Group Managing Director, Dr. Wisely Phiri, was honoured with Leading Male Entrepreneur of the Year Platinum Award
* The recognition, Dr. Phiri said it reflects the dedication of the entire SPARC Systems team and reaffirmed the company’s mission of using technology to transform lives and businesses across Africa
By Duncan Mlanjira
Malawian-owned SPARC-Systems-(Africa)-Ltd,-which-has-footprints-in-Zambia-Rwanda-Mozambique-and-Tanzania, has strengthened its standing as one of Southern Africa’s premier ICT firms after claiming two of the highest honours at the 2026 Southern Africa Brand Quality Awards (SABQA).
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Founded in 2018 in East Africa — and rebranding by becoming a programme for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region in 2024 — the landmark the SABQA has a bold vision of identifying, celebrating and elevating businesses that set the standard for quality, integrity and innovation across the African continent.
SPARC Systems, which has won multiple awards in Malawi as a leading and innovative technology company, was crowned Leading ICT Solutions Provider of the Year, while its founder & Group Managing Director, Dr. Wisely Phiri, was honoured with Leading Male Entrepreneur of the Year Platinum Award.
The awards gala was held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia on Friday, July 10, where Wisely Phiri was also a guest speaker.
Phiri challenged business leaders to pursue excellence with a higher purpose, saying: “A sustainable and globally competitive brand is built on more than financial success.
“It is built on character, integrity, and a genuine commitment to people and the communities we serve,” he said, while encouraging organisations to create institutions that would leave a lasting legacy by investing in people and refusing to compromise on quality.
Quoting from the film Troy, Dr. Phiri reminded the audience that; “men are haunted by the vastness of eternity. We ask ourselves, long after we are gone, will people remember who we were and the difference we made?”
He added that true success is measured by the positive impact businesses leave on society while urging southern African businesses to embrace innovation that uplifts communities and showcases the continent’s talent to the world.
“Let us build brands of uncompromising quality, remembering that what we have is a gift, and what we do with it to impact others is our greatest return.
“Together, we can demonstrate the limitless potential of African excellence,” he inspired the delegates.
The multinational ICT company specialises in enterprise systems integration, cybersecurity, data centre infrastructure, and ICT professional training.
With operations in five countries and projects delivered in more than 10 nations, the company continues to play a leading role in Africa’s digital transformation.
The double SABQA Platinum victory adds to Sparc Systems’ growing list of achievements and reinforces its reputation as a trusted technology partner committed to innovation, quality, and sustainable development across the region.
Winners were determined through a combination of public nominations, accounting for 60% of the score, and expert assessment, which made up the remaining 40%.
On the recognition, Dr. Phiri said it reflects the dedication of the entire SPARC Systems team and reaffirmed the company’s mission of using technology to transform lives and businesses across Africa.
Dr. Phiri challenged African innovators to embrace a renewed vision and pioneer sustainable quality innovations that protect the environment, elevate people and showcase the limitless capability of African excellence to the entire world.
The awards gala brought together visionary industry leaders from across the continent to discuss the role of visionary leadership in building competitive, sustainable brands — under the theme; ‘Global Visionaries of Quality: Pioneering Sustainable Innovations”.
The theme looks towards the ICT industry contributing to meaningful conversations on innovation, quality, and sustainable digital transformation.
According to its website, the SABQA was established to create a credible, independent platform that celebrates brands and leaders setting the benchmark for quality, trust and excellence across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
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Its believes that “recognising greatness inspires more greatness. Every nomination, every vote, and every award ceremony sends a clear signal — excellence is seen, valued, and celebrated here.”
Its vision is to be the most credible and influential business quality recognition platform in Sub-Saharan Africa — one that sets the standard for corporate excellence, consumer trust and economic leadership across all 16 SADC member states.
Four years after its establishment, the programme refined its research methodology, established an independent judging framework, and forged partnerships with industry bodies across East Africa — laying the groundwork for continental growth.
Recognising a critical gap in the market, the programme expanded its mandate to actively bridge investors with quality manufacturers and emerging businesses — accelerating economic development and cross-border trade across Africa.
In 2024, driven by market demand and the desire to develop the broader African economy, the awards extended its footprint into Southern Africa — thus the SABQA was established to serve the SADC region and its dynamic business community.
In 2025, a fully digital nomination and public voting platform was launched, opening participation to brands across Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia and beyond.
In a landmark moment for Africa, the first-ever Southern Africa Brand Quality Awards Gala took place on July 10 2026 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.
“This is not just a regional milestone — it is the first awards programme of its kind on the continent, uniting investors, manufacturers and consumers in celebrating African excellence,” says the website.
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