CyberExpoX 2025 marked a pivotal moment in Malawi’s digital and entertainment landscape. The event successfully unified esports, cosplay, animation, and game development under one platform, establishing itself as a powerful catalyst for the country’s growing digital economy.

A New Era for Malawi’s Digital Culture

On 29th November 2025, the Alliance Française de Blantyre hosted a vibrant gathering of gamers, creatives, technologists, music lovers, and investors. CyberExpoX 2025 delivered a comprehensive showcase of talent, innovation, and passion—bringing multiple communities together under one dynamic roof.

The strategic fusion of esports, cosplay, animation, and game development proved to be a genius concept that left a lasting impression on the Malawian community. The event also helped position Malawi on the global digital stage, demonstrating that the country has world-class talent across multiple digital disciplines.

High-Energy Esports in the Gaming Arena

The gaming arena was one of the standout highlights of CyberExpoX 2025. Both casual and competitive gamers took part in exhibition matches featuring popular titles such as Tekken 8 and EA FC 26.

These matches showcased impressive skill, strategy, and passion from esports athletes and dedicated players. The crowd responded with loud cheers and excitement, reinforcing the momentum behind Malawi’s growing esports and gaming culture. The adrenaline-filled competitions demonstrated that competitive gaming has matured into a legitimate form of sport and entertainment that resonates strongly with Malawian audiences.

Cosplay: Color, Creativity, and Community

Cosplay brought a burst of color and creativity to the event. Anime and manga fans—often proudly identifying as “Weebs”—displayed detailed costumes inspired by fan-favourite series like Chainsaw Man, Bleach, Hunter x Hunter, Naruto, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

The intricate outfits turned fictional characters into living, breathing personalities on the expo floor. They created perfect moments for photos, interaction, and shared appreciation of pop culture. The “Best Costume” award, decided by unanimous vote, went to a standout portrayal of Denji from Chainsaw Man—a testament to the exceptional caliber of artistic craftsmanship on display.

Animation and VFX: Showcasing Local Creative Power

CyberExpoX 2025 also provided a stage for local animation and VFX talent to shine. Attendees were given a first-hand look at what Malawian creatives are building behind the scenes.

Manga artist Ovil Msampha opened the segment with Soul Air, an original manga set in a fictional Malawi where village life is intertwined with ancient spiritual power. The narrative ingeniously intertwines rural village life with ancient spiritual traditions and mysticism, positioning Malawi’s cultural heritage within a contemporary creative framework and offering a fresh perspective on storytelling within the African context.

Next, VFX artist Matt the Creator showcased a portfolio of 3D work, visual effects, and animations, demonstrating advanced 3D modeling, visual effects techniques, and animation expertise. His presentation was complemented by No Gravity Animations, who presented their arthouse project The Boy, the Lion & the Snake. The team walked the audience through the creation process, behind-the-scenes details, and artistic vision of their work.

From design and visual effects to art direction and narrative, the overall caliber of the presentations made it clear that Malawi’s creative industry is rich with dedication, skill, and passion. These presentations validated the presence of world-class animation and VFX capabilities within the country.

Game Developers: Uncovering Malawi’s Hidden Gems

The game development segment was a major eye-opener, revealing just how much untapped potential exists in Malawi’s gaming ecosystem.

Kivon Studios presented The Ascent Game, a Christian faith-based platformer that combines spiritual narrative elements with engaging gameplay mechanics. Players assume the role of Elias, a humble knight undertaking a personal journey of faith and spiritual trials, navigating treacherous obstacles and confronting challenging mini-boss encounters.

Rip Monkey Studios followed with Death Wish, a beat-’em-up brawler where players fight their way through enemies across multiple levels to progress. The game exemplifies classic arcade combat mechanics adapted for contemporary audiences.

Independent developer T3rrifik introduced Dreadthorn Therapist, a unique horror-simulation hybrid that positions players as a therapist running a business during apocalyptic circumstances. Gameplay mechanics require players to make meaningful decisions regarding client welfare while managing existential threats—a creative fusion of narrative-driven storytelling and strategic decision-making.

Closing the segment, Andromeda Games showcased Underground Turtle Racing, an arcade-style racing game featuring circuit-based competition and checkpoint navigation mechanics.

Together, these titles clearly demonstrated that Malawi has serious game development talent and creative vision. The diversity of genres—platformer, brawler, simulation, and racing—showcases the breadth of expertise across the local development community. However, sustained industry growth requires substantial investment, infrastructure development, and strategic policy support to transform individual talent into a thriving commercial sector.

Esports Association of Malawi: An Institutional Milestone

CyberExpoX 2025 also doubled as a soft launch for the Esports Association of Malawi (EAM), underscoring just how significant the expo was for the country’s digital future. This institutional development carries profound significance, positioning esports within Malawi’s formal sports governance structure and legitimizing competitive gaming as a recognized sporting discipline.

During a press conference, EAM President Godfrey Moto described CyberExpoX as “a bold step into Malawi’s digital future—a vibrant space where young minds unleash their creativity, learn directly from industry trailblazers, and push beyond boundaries into new worlds of gaming, entrepreneurship, and technology.”

He went on to highlight EAM’s grassroots ambitions, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to grassroots development: “So far, we have embarked on introducing esports in schools. Our aim is to reach out to youth across Malawi with these skills.” This educational focus positions EAM as not merely an entertainment organization, but as an institutional vehicle for digital literacy and skills development among Malawian youth.

From Hobbies to Careers

One of the most powerful achievements of CyberExpoX 2025 was how it bridged the gap between hobbies and professional opportunity. The event showed that interests in gaming, anime, design, animation, and technology can translate into real careers and businesses.

The convention successfully demonstrated that pathways exist from personal interest in gaming, anime, and digital content to legitimate careers in esports, game development, animation, design, and technology entrepreneurship. For many young attendees—particularly young Malawians—the expo served as proof that their passions are not just side interests but potential entry points into viable professional trajectories and economic opportunity.

Audience Response and Future Potential

The audience turnout and energy throughout the event made it clear that Malawi is ready for more of this. The enthusiastic and overwhelming response from attendees provided clear market validation: demand for such platforms substantially exceeds initial projections.

Rather than being a one-off occasion, CyberExpoX 2025 has laid the foundation for what could become a recurring event—one that continues to support talent, attract partners, and connect communities. This reception suggests that the expo has established not merely an isolated event, but rather the foundation for a recurring institutional platform that will require annual or bi-annual editions to meet community expectations and emerging industry needs.

A Statement on Malawi’s Digital Future

CyberExpoX 2025 was more than just a convention; it was a statement. It showed that Malawi is not only consuming global digital culture but actively contributing to it.

The event transcended the conventional boundaries of entertainment and cultural events, functioning as a public statement affirming that Malawi confidently creates and contributes to global digital culture. By bringing together talent, opportunity, and institutional support under one roof, the expo marked the beginning of an exciting new era in which Malawi establishes itself as a legitimate participant in the global digital economy.

CyberExpoX 2025 has set a precedent—establishing expectations for future events and signaling that Malawi’s digital renaissance has begun.

Organizers Behind the Expo

• CyberExpoX 2025 was made possible through the collaboration of:
• UNCH4INED Gaming — Gaming platform and community
• Esports Association of Malawi (EAM) — Official governing body for competitive gaming
• King of The Grid (KOTG) — Esports promotion and community development
• Mawaya Network Limited — Event and community organization
• WeebCon — Anime and manga community engagement