Malawi's Emmanuel Nangwiya creates Kanema TV app for smartphones
Emmanuel Nangwiya, a Malawian IT student, developed an app and software to enable smartphone users to access TV content, writes Mustafa Makumba.
Malawi-A third-year Bachelor of Science in Information Technology student at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), Emmanuel Nangwiya, has developed an application and software to enable people to access television content on their smartphones, writes Mustafa Makumba.
Nangwiya aims to create a modern world and advance the country's technological agenda.
His newly developed television streaming app, Kanema TV, has made headlines and has been commended by users as a solution to different complex situations.
One of the users, Hannah Chimphamba, who is a student at MUBAS, said the app would allow her to watch her favourite television channels on her smartphone.
"I am so glad we have this app at our disposal. Despite not having a TV set at my apartment, I am now able to watch TV channels on my gadget, which was not possible before," Chimphamba told Africabrief.
She has further called upon the developer to work on adding more channels to the app to give people more freedom of choice.
Another user, Thomas Kamanga, hailed the app's arrival and said that the app on its own is a full TV set, and there is no need for him to buy an actual TV set, as everything is now mobile.
Kanema TV is the first-ever television streaming app in Malawi, and it will be casting local as well as international channels.
According to Nangwiya, the application is currently accessible for free on the Google Play Store to Android users only. However, plans are underway to extend its access to Apple and Microsoft platforms.
Nangwiya says he came up with the idea after noticing that many people have no access to television equipment and considering the complexity of traditional television.
"Many people in Malawi cannot afford to buy television equipment, and even those that have it can hardly access it because they have to be settled in one place to watch it," Nangwiya said.
He added,"The application will allow people to access their favourite TV channels anywhere they are, including their offices or while driving."
Kanema TV offers over five local channels, including MBC and Zodiak TV, as well as international channels such as the BBC and Al Jazeera. Users can access print media and listen to their favourite radio stations through the app.
Meanwhile, Nangwiya has highlighted some challenges he is facing in his technology journey. The credibility of the platform is a concern, as some accuse him of piracy.
Despite the app enjoying more downloads than expected, the issue of data depletion is a concern as streaming is currently in high definition (HD).
"Many users are currently complaining about data depletion since the app is streaming in HD. However, they will not worry for long as we are working on different streaming qualities, ranging from low, standard, and high qualities. A subscriber can choose which one suits their budget," Nangwiya disclosed to Africabrief.
He has stated that he is receiving unwavering support as the number of subscribers continues to rise overwhelmingly, with the app boasting approximately 5,000 downloads.
In his mobile app development journey, Nangwiya has so far developed 16 Android apps, of which 14 were developed in 2022 alone.
Among the mobile apps are the the RFA Tollgate app, the Hustle Vacancies app, and the ICTAM Innovation Award-winning SeedCo Mbewu App, which detects seed fraud between vendors and farmers.
Nangwiya dreams of becoming a leading mobile app developer in the country and beyond its borders.