Embracing Service Innovation as a Competitive Differentiation Strategy in the Private Security Service Sector in Malawi

By: Sandie Mwiza Kumwenda, Priscilla Maliwichi,

Abstract

Private security companies in Malawi have long provided services across various economic sectors, including individual households. These services are essential for ensuring sustainable peace and security, complementing government efforts to maintain a secure environment for businesses and investors as emphasized in the Malawi 2063 Agenda under enabler 2: Effective Governance Systems and Institutions. To remain relevant and competitive, private security companies must continuously innovate and differentiate their services, just like organisations in other sectors. This qualitative study used grounded theory methodology to investigate and explore the service innovation gaps within Malawi’s private security industry. The research aimed to identify challenges and factors that hinder the industry’s ability to innovate and meet evolving customer security needs. The findings revealed significant gaps in security solutions, a lack of diversity in offerings, the need for capacity building, and insufficient understanding of the operating environment. These issues underscore the importance of developing innovative solutions and differentiation strategies to enhance competitiveness and better satisfy customer security requirements. The future of private security in Malawi lies in technology-driven solutions. Therefore integrating technology into service innovation is essential for private security companies to overcome challenges, differentiate themselves from competitors, and provide superior security services.