Malawi is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa that gained its independence from the United Kingdom on July 6, 1964. Malawi had about 20.9 million inhabitants in 2020; the capital is Lilongwe.
The north-south extent is 850 km, the west-east extent 350 km. The external border has a length of 2881 km, 475 km with Tanzania in the north, 1569 km with Mozambique in the east, south and south-west and 837 km with Zambia in the west.
The land area covers 118,484 km² (world ranking
99), of which 31% is forest and scrubland, 25% is water, 20% is
arable land, and 15% is meadows and pastures.
Malawi lies
almost entirely within the East African Rift Valley system. The
landscape is characterized by plateaus, which are towered over by
individual inselbergs, wide plains and Lake Malawi (formerly Lake
Njassa, njassa = "lake" in Chichewa). The northern region is
mountainous; the highest peaks rise up to 3000 meters above sea
level. With an area of around 29,600 km², a length of 570 kilometers
and a width of up to 80 kilometers, Lake Malawi is the largest lake
in Malawi and at the same time the third largest inland body of
water in Africa; it mainly belongs to the Malawian national
territory. The islands of Chizumulu and Likoma are part of Malawi
but are enclaves in Mozambique territorial waters. The rift valley
continues south of the lake.
The Mulanje massif, which
protrudes from a plain with green tea plantations, forms the highest
elevation in the country, the highest mountain is the Sapitwa with a
height of 3002 m. The longest river is the Shire with a length of
402 km. As the southern outflow of Lake Malawi, the Shire first
flows through Lake Malombe and reaches the lowest point in Malawi
(37 m above sea level) at the border with Mozambique before it flows
into the Zambezi in Mozambique.
Malawi has a tropical climate with four seasons:
cool season between May and
mid-August;
hot period between mid-August and November;
Rainy
season between November and April, during this period the humidity
can be almost 100% in the morning;
After rainy season between
April and May.
In general, the highlands are cooler and
wetter, while the lower-lying areas are hotter and more humid. It is
warmest on Lake Malawi, but there is usually a cooling wind. Average
temperatures vary between 19°C and 32°C from November to April and
between 14°C and 24°C from May to October. July is the coolest
month. Nights can be cold, especially in the mountains. There is a
precipitation gradient of around 2000 mm per year in the north near
the equator to almost 1000 mm in the south; the bottom of the ditch,
lying in the rain shadow, is locally scarcely 600 mm.
The country is dominated by Lake Malawi, whose catchment area stretches as far as Tanzania and Mozambique. Almost all of Malawi (about 90%) drains into the Zambezi via the Shire, the outlet of Lake Malawi. The Shire's western catchment area borders are virtually congruent with the national border. In the southeast of the country there are smaller areas that drain into either the Rovuma or Lake Chilwa.
Malawi is divided into three administrative regions. These in turn have a total of 28 districts. The regions are the Northern Region, the Central Region and the Southern Region.
1 Lilongwe. Capital. The market on Malangalanga Road is very lively.
There are Indian shops in the old town. Nearby is Salanjama, an area
with numerous bird species. On the upper slopes of the Lilongwe valley
there are areas with dense rainforest and protea bushes. Another tourist
attraction is the tobacco auctions. Between the old town and the new
center there is a zoo, which occasionally houses hyenas and crocodiles.
2 Blantyre . Economic center. The most striking building in the city is
the Saint Michael and All Angels Church. The oldest surviving building
in the city is the Mandala House from 1882. It was built as a support
depot for European missionaries and pioneers and now houses a gallery, a
library and an exhibition on the history of Malawi. Another attraction
is the tobacco auctions that take place daily in the city.
3 Mzuzu .
In addition to a few simple small hotels and lodges (guest houses),
Mzuzu has a hotel of international standard. In the catchment area of
the city lies the Viphya Plateau with the Viphya Forest, which is
often used for hiking tours.
4 Karonga . Border with Tanzania. From
the First World War, there are soldiers' graves of British and German
casualties on the road to the airfield. The Battle of Karonga took place
here in 1914.
1 Lake Malawi . The third largest lake in Africa, Lake Malawi is
characterized by a wide variety of endemic fish species and is a popular
destination for tourists who want to enjoy the clear waters, beaches and
water sports such as diving, sailing and fishing.
2 Lake Malawi
National Park . The national park is located at the southern end of Lake
Malawi. The protected area includes part of the lake as well as the
adjacent mountainous area. The lake is home to hundreds of species of
fish, most of which are found only here.
3 Kasungu National Park .
This park in central Malawi is the second largest in the country. It
offers a variety of habitats, including forests, savannahs and wetlands.
Elephants, buffalo, lions and a variety of bird species live here.
4
Lengwe National Park . The park is known for its dense miombo forest and
is home to a variety of animal species including lions, leopards,
baboons and numerous bird species.
5 Liwonde National Park . Located
on the Shire River in southern Malawi, the park is known for its diverse
wildlife including elephants, hippos, crocodiles and various bird
species. The park offers safaris, boat trips and hiking.
6 Nyika
National Park . Located in northern Malawi and spread across the Nyika
Plateau, this park is known for its unique landscape characterized by
grassy plains, rocks and moorlands. It is also home to various wildlife
such as antelopes, zebras and leopards.
7 Majete Wildlife Reserve .
The reserve is known for its successful efforts to reintroduce animal
species such as elephants, lions and rhinos.
8 Mwabvi Wildlife
Reserve . It is known for its landscape of dry forests, rock formations
and open savannahs. The reserve is home to a variety of wildlife
including elephants, giraffes, zebras, antelopes and various bird
species. It offers opportunities for safaris, hiking and camping.
9
Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve . The reserve includes wetlands, grasslands and
forest areas. It is known for its variety of bird species as well as
elephants, buffalo, antelopes and other animal species.
10 Nkhotakota
Wildlife Reserve (Nkhotakota Game Reserve) . One of Malawi's oldest
protected areas is a sanctuary for elephants, buffalo, leopards and a
variety of bird species.
11 Kapichira Falls (Kapichira Falls) . The
impressive waterfalls are located near Liwonde National Park. Access to
the falls is a bit adventurous but the view is worth it.
12 Lake
Malombe (Lake Malombe) . The lake is rich in fish and known for its
picturesque beaches and clear water. Visitors can enjoy various water
sports such as boating, fishing and snorkelling.
13 Lake Chilwa . The
lake plays an important ecological and economic role as it provides
livelihoods for the local population, including fishing and agriculture,
and is an important habitat for various bird species.
14 Chongoni
Rock Art Area . Chongoni is a 2,198m high mountain in southern Malawi.
It is surrounded by a dry forest area where there are 127 rock painting
sites from different peoples. The oldest drawings are up to 2,500 years
old and have cultic significance, others are around 1,000 years old and
mainly depict female figures.
Entry requirements
All Europeans (except Ukrainians and Turks) can
obtain a visa-on-arrival, depending on the purpose of the trip as a
“Visitor’s Permit” (VP) or “Business Visit” (BV). This is initially
valid for 30 days and can be extended to a maximum of 90 days at the
immigration police in Lilongwe or Blantyre for a fee. Alternatively,
there is the option of applying for an eVisa. The prices are the same in
both cases: US$75 for a single entry, US$150 for multiple entries. A
passport valid for at least 6 months is required. At the end of February
2024, the visa requirement was lifted for Germans, among others.
The consulates refer short-term travelers to the options mentioned (as
of Sep 2022):
Consular Department of the Embassy of Malawi,
Westfälische Str. 86, 10709 Berlin. Tel.: +49-30-8431540. Open:
Mon.-Thurs. 9:00-12:00, 13:00-16:00, Fri. 9:00-14:00.
Consular
department of the Embassy of Malawi, 1, rue de Pré-de-la-Bichette, (2nd
Floor), 1202 Geneva. Tel.: +41 22 730 17 50. Also responsible for
Austrians.
Consulat de la République Malawi, Dolderstrasse 102, 8032
Zurich. Tel.: +43 817 05 82.
Plane
Direct travel by plane is
not possible from Central Europe. Flights go, for example, via Nairobi
with Kenian Airways, via Johannesburg with South African Airways or with
Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa to Lilongwe Kamuzu International
Airport or Blantyre Chileka International Airport.
The departure
tax of US$30 is normally included in the flight ticket. For domestic
flights, US$7 is payable in cash before departure.
Rail
In the
south of the country, the Central East African Railways operates, whose
rail network stretches from the coast of Mozambique via the capital of
Malawi, Lilongwe, to Chipata in Zambia.
Bus
From Mozambique,
you can take the bus from Tete to the border at Zobwe. After crossing,
you take another bus from the border to Blantyre. This crossing is quite
hectic and closed at night, so you should get there early and try to
make it across the border in time with all the bureaucratic border
officials to find connecting transport.
Direct buses run from Lusaka,
Zambia to Lilongwe.
There is also a minibus from Mbeya in Tanzania to
the border. From the border in Malawi, take a taxi to Karonga. From the
Karonga bus station, you can then take a bus or minibus to other
destinations in Malawi. Bus is cheaper than minibus. There are no direct
buses from Mbeya to Malawi, although scammers at the Mbeya bus station
say this and sell fake tickets. You have to take a bus to the border and
walk across.
There is also a direct bus from Dar es Salaam in
Tanzania to Mzuzu or Lilongwe.
There were buses from Blantyre to
Harare via Tete in Mozambique. However, you need a Mozambique visa.
Car/motorcycle/bicycle
In Malawi, traffic drives on the left.
Most of the connecting roads are unpaved. The main connecting route is
the north-south connection, the unpaved parts of which are in good
condition. Entering the country with your own vehicle is generally not a
problem. Motorcycles are usually banned from driving in the national
parks to avoid any danger from the animals.
When driving
overland, it is important to note that there are usually pedestrians on
the right and left of the road, sometimes with their animals. Since
there is no sidewalk, they simply walk on the road too. It can also
happen that people sit on the street and celebrate. One way to get
around in Malawi is to drive in the middle of the road so as not to run
over anyone. Of course, if there is oncoming traffic, you have to
quickly pull over to the left.
The border crossings are usually
closed between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
The only land crossing
between Tanzania and Malawi is the Songwe River Bridge in Kasmulu,
southeast of Mbeya (TAN). Closing time is at 6:00 p.m. Malawi time, i.e.
7:00 p.m. Tanzania time. You can take a bus from Mzuz (MAL), and there
are also minibuses from Karonga.
Boat
There is a boat
connection with the MS Ilala from Mamba Bay (Tanzania) to Nkhata Bay,
which runs about once a week, and a connection between the Malawian
islands in Lake Malawi and Mozambique.
The main options for getting around the country are shared taxis, buses or taxis.
The official languages are English and Chichewa. Many other local languages are also spoken. The average tourist comes into contact almost exclusively with people who speak a minimum level of English.
The national currency is the Malawi kwacha (MK). One Malawi kwacha is
divided into 100 tambala. There are banknotes of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500,
1000 and 2000 kwacha as well as coins of 1 Mk, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1
tambala, although the tambala coins are disappearing due to their low
value. The export of Malawi kwacha is prohibited except for a trivial
amount of 3000MK. Excess amounts must be exchanged for other currencies
upon leaving the country. The import of foreign currency is not
restricted.
The exchange rate at the beginning of March 2021 was:
1€ = 929mKw. (In mid-2020 there was a drop in exchange rates of -15%,
then stabilized.)
In the larger cities of Mzuzu, Lilongwe and
Blantyre there are ATMs (24 hours) where you can withdraw money with
international cards. (Mostly Visa, but also Mastercard and even
Maestro.) Withdrawals are limited to an amount of around 100 euros in
kwacha within 24 hours. Banks are usually open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on
weekdays. Banks and exchange offices allow you to exchange cash and make
withdrawals using common credit cards. Euros are easily accepted when
exchanging cash, along with USD, pounds sterling and South African rand.
Please note that 30 USD per person must be paid in cash for the
departure tax. The kwacha is the common means of payment in shops,
markets, minibuses and buses, restaurants and backpacker hotels. Credit
cards and foreign currencies (mainly USD) can be used to pay in hotels,
some gas stations and tourist areas.
If someone were trying to define a monotonous cuisine, Malawi would
be a good subject for study. The usual food is chicken and beef. With a
choice of nsima (a thick maize porridge similar to the East African
ugali), rice or chips. This menu is served from market stalls to
mid-priced restaurants. The only difference is the price. A bowl of rice
with a piece of chicken can be had for 100 kwacha in the wooden shacks
at the market, but in a motel restaurant it might cost around 230. Beans
are sometimes on the menu, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they
are actually available.
At the market you can get very cheap (and
good) "chips" (= chips, but often warm potatoes) with tomatoes and
coleslaw for 30 to 50 kwacha (depending on the portion). They also offer
boiled (and sometimes fried) eggs (20 Kwacha), fried chicken pieces (40
Kwacha), fried chicken leftovers such as feet etc. (20 Kwacha), fried
sausages (40 Kwacha), roasted corn on the cob (15 Kwacha), boiled sweet
potatoes (5-20 Kwacha) as well as fried foods and rolls in various
shapes (5 to 25 Kwacha).
Eating is traditionally done with the
right hand without cutlery. In the restaurant, guests are given a bowl
and a jug of water to wash their hands at the table.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world and yet, compared to South Africa, the country has a relatively low crime rate. There is a clear urban-rural divide here. It is generally not advisable to walk alone after dark in the larger cities such as Lilongwe or Blantyre, as there are frequent reports of attacks on tourists. Here it is advisable to order a taxi. This also applies in tourist areas such as Nkhata Bay. You should exercise a certain amount of caution about who you go "out on the towns" with, as there are certainly criminals who come from the cities to the tourist areas to hunt for loot. In rural areas it is generally much safer than in the city centers. Nevertheless, you should of course not walk around here with an expensive camera around your neck or with conspicuous jewelry, so as not to provoke a crime.
As with other countries in southern Africa, it is highly advisable to
get vaccinated against hepatitis, especially if you are staying in the
country for a longer period of time. Malawi is a country with a high
risk of infection from malaria. Malaria prophylaxis or standby
medication should definitely be discussed with your family doctor.
Another precautionary measure can be to put on long shirts and trousers
before sunset.
A certain degree of caution is also advisable when
handling food and drinking water. The quality of tap water is by no
means always the same. If in doubt, you should therefore not drink it.
When staying at Lake Malawi, you should note that it cannot be
considered free of bilharzia. Standing water with reeds should be
avoided, as the parasites are particularly common here. If in doubt, you
can get tested after returning home.
HIV/AIDS is a major problem in
Malawi, as the country has a very high infection rate. Unprotected
sexual contact should therefore be avoided at all costs, especially in
the area of prostitution.
In Malawi, as in other countries, a certain degree of respect for
local customs is required. Malawians are generally extremely polite and
extremely friendly towards strangers (hence Malawi's advertising agency
nickname “The Warm Heart of Africa”). It is not unusual to be approached
on the street and drawn into a conversation. However, it is more common
to be asked for money; in this case, it is usually sufficient to say
"no" in a friendly but firm manner.
It is important in Malawi to
dress appropriately. This applies primarily to the villages; urban areas
are already more open to modern western culture. Tourists and
backpackers are part of the everyday cityscape here. The situation is
somewhat different in the rural regions, which are less frequently
visited by travelers. Despite the warm to hot climate and the prevailing
poverty, you see many Malawians who dress noticeably formally. Suits and
ties are also often worn by small farmers in the villages. It is quite
possible that you will have the opportunity to visit such a village on a
trip to Malawi. Female travelers in particular should note that short
trousers or short skirts are not appropriate here; shoulders should also
be covered if possible. This is simply a question of politeness. Female
travelers, especially during longer stays in villages, take a safe route
by wearing the traditional women's garment, the "chitenji" (a type of
wraparound skirt). These can be bought very cheaply in the markets. If a
longer stay in a village is planned (e.g. as a community service worker
or project employee), you should also register to visit the village
headman. He often still has an important position in the village
community and should be informed about "long-term visitors".
Many
Malawians do not like to be photographed. If you do it without asking,
they can occasionally get angry.
Malawi has two mobile phone networks. In large cities and many regional centers, reception is good to very good. However, there are still large dead spots in rural areas (including national parks). Some (not all!) German mobile phone providers now have Malawian roaming partners. Internet cafes with good connections can be found in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu. In some high-class hotels and lodges, guests have the opportunity to use the Internet.
A fossil of a Homo rudolfensis discovered by Friedemann Schrenk near
Karonga proves that the area of present-day Malawi was already
populated by early representatives of the genus Homo more than two
million years ago.
The earliest verifiable settlement by modern
humans (Homo sapiens) was by tribes of the San. North of Lilongwe, in
the caves of two granite mountains that stand out prominently from the
landscape, Stone Age drawings of this culture of hunters and gatherers
can still be found today. The earliest Iron Age culture in southern
Malawi is characterized by Nkope pottery, which began here around 200 AD
and can be traced back to the 11th century. The next documented
settlement was by the Chewa tribe from the Luba region, although the
dates of immigration vary between 1000 and 1480 AD depending on the
political or scientific view.
The kingdom of the Maravi is said
to have been on Malawian soil before the age of colonialism. The slave
trade and tribal wars emanating from East Africa, especially Zanzibar,
had a detrimental effect on the northernmost region. In 1859, David
Livingstone was the first European to reach Lake Malawi. In 1891, Malawi
became a British protectorate, and in 1907 it was converted into the
colony of Nyasaland. In 1915, when the British government ordered
conscription for the colony's inhabitants, the local population revolted
against foreign rule under the Baptist minister John Chilembwe.
In 1953, Nyasaland became a member of the Central African Federation.
Before independence, the colonial authorities granted blacks the
right to vote and stand for election in the 1961 constitution, but this
was restricted by educational and property requirements. Many women were
active in the nationalist movements. In the 1961 elections, women who
met the educational and property requirements were allowed to vote,
which meant that all European women and around 10,000 black women were
able to exercise the right to vote. When independence was achieved in
1964, universal suffrage and thus unrestricted women's suffrage were
introduced.
On July 6, 1964, the country gained independence as
Malawi under Prime Minister Hastings Kamuzu Banda, who proclaimed the
republic exactly two years later, on July 6, 1966, and became its first
president. Banda ruled the country dictatorially at the head of the
Malawi Congress Party (MCP). This dictatorship only ended in 1993 with a
peaceful referendum, which led to free elections in 1994. This
development was initiated by a pastoral letter from six Roman Catholic
bishops led by James Chiona in 1992, in which political reforms were
publicly called for for the first time in years.
In the first
free elections in 1994, Bakili Muluzi of the United Democratic Front
(UDF) was elected president and re-elected in 1999. After unsuccessful
attempts to change the constitution in order to extend his presidency,
he was replaced by Bingu wa Mutharika (UDF), whom he wanted as his
successor, after the controversial election on 20 May 2004, mainly
because the opposition parties could not agree on a common candidate.
The new president was sworn in on 24 May 2004 in Blantyre in the
presence of several African heads of state. Bingu wa Mutharika was
re-elected in 2009 with 66.17% of the valid votes. The Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) he led won almost 60% of the seats in
parliament. In 2009, Mutharika's attempt to allow him to run for a third
term in office failed, something that is currently prohibited by the
Malawian constitution. At that time, the opposition in Malawi was weak,
which enabled Mutharika to implement almost all of his ideas, some of
which are of a representative nature. For example, a new parliament
building was built in Lilongwe between 2008 and 2010; an airplane was
also bought for the president in 2009 with public funds. On April 5,
2012, Mutharika died of a heart attack. He was succeeded by the previous
vice president, Joyce Banda, who took the oath of office on April 7,
2012. Peter Mutharika became the new president in 2014. He also received
the most votes in the 2019 elections, but the Constitutional Court
ordered a repeat election. Opposition politician Lazarus Chakwera
emerged as the winner of the repeat election.
In addition to its own traditional music, which includes the zither bangwe, the xylophone valimba and vocal ensembles accompanied by drums (ngoma), Malawi has absorbed influences from many musical styles and passed them on to surrounding countries. After the Second World War, many dance bands performed with a guitar/banjo line-up. In the 1960s, the Kwela style from South Africa was popular in Malawi. There are also jazz bands, gospel and reggae singers and musicians who mix numerous influences, such as Esau Mwamwaya, who combines hip hop and pop music with traditional music. After the death of the ruler Hastings Banda in 1994, Malawi's music scene experienced a major upswing. Dance is an important part of Malawi's culture. The National Dance Troupe was founded by the government in 1987. Traditional music and dance play an important role in occasions such as initiation, weddings and other rituals. This includes the great dance, which has been one of the 90 masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity since 2005.
The country has a long tradition of basket weaving and making wooden
masks. The masks are used in traditional ceremonies, but are also sold
to tourists elsewhere.
Some well-known writers come from Malawi,
including Jack Mapanje (* 1944), who had to emigrate to England, Legson
Kayira (ca. 1942–2012), Felix Mnthali (* 1933), Frank Chipasula (*
1949), who emigrated to the USA, and David Rubadiri.
The Ministry
of Culture, Tourism and Wildlife does not provide any financial
resources to cultural institutions. The development of the Nanzikambe
Arts theater in Blantyre is noteworthy. This theater also supports
groups in the field of social development. A partnership has existed
between Nanzikambe Arts and the Konstanz City Theater since 2010. Up
until 2012, there were three joint theater productions that were also
shown in Germany.
The most popular sport is soccer, introduced by the British colonial
authorities. The national soccer team has not yet qualified for a soccer
World Cup, but has taken part in three Africa Cups (1984, 2010 and
2021). Malawian soccer clubs are Mighty Wanderers, Big Bullets, Silver
Strikers, Blue Eagles, Civo Sporting, Moyale Barracks and Mighty Tigers.
Basketball is growing in popularity, although the national team has not
yet taken part in an international tournament. Netball, on the other
hand, is more successful and the national team is (in March 2021) in
sixth place in the world rankings. Several national players are active
in international leagues. In the past, Malawi, along with Zambia,
Tanzania and Uganda, has provided players for the East and Central
African cricket team. The country has had its own national team since
2003, but has not yet qualified for an international cricket tournament.
Special Olympics Malawi was founded in 1998 and has participated in
the Special Olympics World Games several times.
The north-south extension is 850 km, the west-east extension 350 km. The external border is 2881 km long, 475 km to Tanzania in the north, 1569 km to Mozambique in the east, south and southwest and 837 km to Zambia in the west.
The country's area covers 118,484 km² (world ranking 99), of which
31% is forest and bushland, 25% water surface, 20% arable land, 15%
meadows and pastures.
Malawi lies almost entirely within the East
African Rift Valley system. The landscape is dominated by plateaus
overlooked by individual island mountains, wide plains and Lake Malawi
(formerly Lake Nyasa, nyasa = "lake" in Chichewa). The northern region
is mountainous; the highest peaks here rise up to 3,000 meters above sea
level. With an area of around 29,600 km², 570 kilometers long and a
width of up to 80 kilometers, Lake Malawi is the largest lake in Malawi
and also the third largest inland body of water in Africa; it belongs
mainly to Malawian territory. The islands of Chizumulu and Likoma belong
to Malawi, but are an enclave in the territorial waters of Mozambique.
The rift valley continues south of the lake.
The Mulanje massif,
which rises from a plain of green tea plantations, is the highest
elevation in the country; the highest mountain is the Sapitwa at 3,002
m. The longest river is the Shire at 402 km long. As the southern
outflow of Lake Malawi, the Shire flows through Lake Malombe and reaches
its lowest point in Malawi (37 m above sea level) on the border with
Mozambique before joining the Zambezi in Mozambique.
Malawi has a tropical climate with four seasons:
cool season
between May and mid-August;
hot season between mid-August and
November;
rainy season between November and April, when morning
humidity can be almost 100%;
post-rainy season between April and May.
In general, the highlands are cooler and wetter, while the lower
areas are hotter and more humid. Lake Malawi is the warmest, but there
is usually a cooling wind. Average temperatures range from 19 °C to 32
°C from November to April and from 14 °C to 24 °C from May to October.
July is the coolest month. Nights can be cold, especially in the
highlands. There is a precipitation gradient of around 2000 mm per year
in the north, closer to the equator, to just under 1000 mm in the south;
the rift valley floor, which lies in the rain shadow, receives barely
600 mm in places.
Lake Malawi, whose catchment area extends into Tanzania and Mozambique, dominates the country. Almost all of Malawi (around 90%) drains into the Zambezi via the Shire, the outflow of Lake Malawi. The western catchment area boundaries of the Shire practically coincide with the national border. In the southeast of the country there are smaller areas that drain into either Lake Rovuma or Lake Chilwa.
The flora of the region is very diverse. The predominant vegetation formations in the dry plains are savannas and open grasslands as well as sparse dry forest. Closed forests only occur in mountainous areas and on the densely forested plateaus. The country's forests were previously cut down in the settlement areas, but are now being reforested on a large scale.
The Kapichira Falls, Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe and Mount Mulanje are worth seeing. National parks and nature reserves in Malawi are Kasungu, Lake Malawi National Park, Lengwe, Majete Wildlife Reserve, Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve, Liwonde, Nyika National Park on the Nyika Plateau, Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. The elephant population in Malawi was estimated at 2800 to 3200 animals in 1977, 4500 in 1979 and 1981, but only 2400 in 1987.
Malawi is divided into three administrative regions, called regions, and below these into a total of 28 districts. The regions are represented by a regional administrator, whereas the districts are managed by a District Development Committee (DDC) chaired by a District Commissioner. Political decision-making and citizen participation takes place in a decentralized manner in the districts and in a few larger cities in the so-called town or city assemblies, but not at the regional level.
Northern Region with the administrative center Mzuzu
and the 6
districts: Chitipa, Karonga, Likoma, Mzimba, Nkhata Bay, Rumphi.
Central Region with the administrative center Lilongwe
and the 9
districts: Dedza, Dowa, Kasungu, Lilongwe, Mchinji, Nkhotakota, Ntcheu,
Ntchisi, Salima.
Southern Region with the administrative center
of Blantyre
and the 13 districts: Balaka, Blantyre, Chikwawa,
Chiradzulu, Machinga, Mangochi, Mulanje, Mwanza, Neno, Nsanje, Phalombe,
Thyolo, Zomba.
In 2023, 18 percent of Malawi's population lived in cities. The
largest cities are (as of 2018, census):
Lilongwe (989,318
inhabitants)
Blantyre (800,318)
Mzuzu (221,272)
Zomba (105,013)
Karonga (61,609)
Kasungu (58,653)
Mangochi (53,498)
Malawi had 20.9 million inhabitants in 2023. Annual population growth was + 2.5%. A birth surplus (birth rate: 32.6 per 1000 inhabitants vs. death rate: 6.9 per 1000 inhabitants) contributed to population growth. The number of births per woman was statistically 3.8 in 2022, compared to 4.3 in the East and South Africa region. The life expectancy of Malawi's inhabitants from birth was 62.9 years in 2022. The median age of the population in 2021 was 16.8 years. In 2023, 42.0 percent of the population was under 15 years of age, while the proportion of people over 64 was 2.5 percent of the population.
Most of the approximately 18 million inhabitants belong to various
Bantu ethnic groups. A total of 13 different cultural and language
groups are distinguished.
The eponymous Maravi make up the
titular nation with 49.3%: These include the Chewa (32.6%), the Tumbuka
(8.8%), the Nyanja (5.8%) and the Tonga (2.1%). The Lomwe make up 17.6%
of the population, the Yao 13.5% and the Ngoni 11.5%. The Sena and the
Ngondo are a minority with 3.6% and 1% respectively. Other ethnic groups
together make up a total of 3.5% of the total population.
In
2017, 1.3% of the population were foreigners. Most foreigners in the
country came from Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Bantu languages are widespread. The official language is English, a legacy of the colonial era. The Bantu language Chichewa is the national language. In addition, the Bantu languages Lomwe, Chiyao, Tumbuka, Chinkhonde, Chisena, Chitonga, Chinyakyusa, Chimambya, Chisenga, Chisukwa, Chingoni, Chimambwe and Chinamwanga are spoken regionally. The prefix Chi means something like "language of...".
Around 82.6 percent of the population are Christians, and at 13 percent, Malawi has a higher proportion of Muslims than the other countries in southern Africa. The remaining proportions are made up of Baha'is, atheists (2.5 percent) and followers of traditional religions, although their mythological ideas have been partially incorporated into the world religions and certain rituals are still practiced there under different names. Christians make up over 90 percent of the population in the entire north, up to half of the country, and the Muslim settlement center is in the east, south of Lake Malawi. Traditional religions are officially practiced only in a few small areas in the far south, especially in the district of Nsanje.
The largest Christian community is made up of Catholics at around 23
percent, followed by the Church of Central Africa (CCAP), which belongs
to the Presbyterians, at almost 19 percent according to a 2004 survey.
The group of African Independent Churches (AIP) make up around 17
percent and, like Evangelicals and Pentecostals - together around a
third of Christians - are growing rapidly; the latter two are gaining
followers, particularly in the cities. There are also around 2.5 percent
Anglicans and a good 6 percent Seventh-day Adventists and Malawian
Baptists for both, as well as the minorities of Jehovah's Witnesses and
Righteous Christians.
The first missionary on Lake Malawi was
David Livingstone in 1859. His reports on the slave trade and the need
for missions sparked interest in this area. Bishop Charles Frederick
Mackenzie, representing the Universities Mission to Central Africa
(UMCA), founded a mission station near Zomba two years later, but died
of malaria in 1862, like most of his colleagues. His successor, William
Tozer, retired to Zanzibar in 1863. In 1875, Presbyterians arrived and
founded the Livingstonia station, where the Tumbuka were the first to be
evangelized, while a delegation from the Church of Scotland settled in
what would later become Blantyre in 1876. The first Catholics arrived in
1889 in the form of the White Fathers via Mozambique, which was
colonized by Portugal. In the decades that followed, missionaries from
the Dutch Reformed Church from South Africa and some charismatic groups
with origins in the USA followed. Missionaries from the Anglican Church
in particular benefited from their proximity to the colonial power,
providing religious legitimacy to the government in cases of conflict.
The long-serving President Banda was a Presbyterian. It was only
since his successor, the Muslim Bakili Muluzi, that the freedom of
religion guaranteed in Article 20 of the constitution has in practice
also applied equally to Muslims, with Banda launching a campaign for
western education for disadvantaged Muslims after 1961. Since 2004, the
Catholic Bingu wa Mutharika has been president and his vice president a
Muslim. Political tensions are not based on religion; most religious
disputes have been between Christian splinter groups that have split
off. In the 1970s, there were disputes in the south between Christians
and followers of traditional religions. On the one hand, a
fundamentalist Pentecostal movement that had recently arrived in the
country polarized people, while on the other, a neo-traditional church
of the ancestors was forming.
In 1909, the charismatic Elliot
Kenan Kamwana began to proselytize for Jehovah's Witnesses in Malawi. He
predicted the end of the world in 1914, but was deported by the British
at the end of 1909 because of his anti-colonial campaigns and did not
return from Mauritius until 1937, where he secretly continued to gain
followers until his death in 1956. These were long regarded as Jehovah's
Witnesses, but de facto and eventually formally formed their own
religious community, the Mlondo or "Watchman" Mission. Under President
Banda, from 1967 onwards Kamwana's followers, who numbered around 18,000
at the time, were suppressed, violently persecuted and driven by
thousands to refugee camps in Zambia and Mozambique because of their
refusal to do military service and take part in ceremonies. In 1976,
over 5,000 were imprisoned (the number probably also includes Jehovah's
Witnesses). With democratization in 1993, the ban on this religious
community was lifted. Radio Maria Malawi, which also broadcasts general
educational programs, is the most listened to radio station in the
country and broadcasts live 24 hours a day.
As in the rest of Africa, Muslims in Malawi are almost exclusively
Sunnis, which also includes followers of various Sufi brotherhoods
(Tariqa). Most Muslims are found among the Yao in the south of Lake
Malawi. Islam first came here in the 1890s via Arab traders via
Mozambique and contributed to the Yao offering the most resistance to
colonial rule. The person primarily responsible for the spread of Islam
in Malawi was Sheikh Abdallah b. Haji Mkwanda (around 1860–1930), who
was born on Lake Malawi and was the son of a well-known ivory and
probably also slave trader. He studied the Koran in Kilwa, returned to
the lake in 1884, preached and distributed amulets. His most influential
student was Sheikh Thabit b. Muhammad Ngaunje (around 1880–1959), who
spread Islam particularly among the Yao. Both taught the Koran in Arabic
and Swahili, but not in local languages. Sultan Barghash ibn Sa'id of
Zanzibar represented the centre of the Islamic faith for all Muslims on
Lake Malawi.
After 1900, the two tariqas Qadiriyya and
Shadhiliyya began to spread inland from the island of Mozambique. Most
of the preachers of these Sufi orders were second-generation Muslims and
also worked as travelling traders. The most important woman in the
Islamic history of Malawi was Mtumwa bt. Ali b. Yusufu, who had been
educated in Zanzibar and brought the Qadiriyya order to Nkhotakota in
1929, which helped many women to play a more active role within the
religious community. Like some traditional ceremonies, matrilineality
and customary law survived among the Muslim Yao during the colonial
period. The ancestor worship celebrations at the end of the funeral were
held under the new Islamic name Sadaka and supervised by Muslim
authorities.
In contrast to the Portuguese, British colonial
policy in Mozambique was tolerant towards Islam, but only a few Muslims
received Western education and good jobs. Since the end of the 1970s,
Islam has been revived in the country through cooperation and financial
support from Muslims from India and Pakistan. In the 1980s, around 30
new mosques were also financed by the African Muslims Committee from
Kuwait. Islam gained a visible presence, even in areas where there are
hardly any Muslims. The number of madrasas also increased. Since 1986,
the Islamic Development Bank has been distributing scholarships for
medical and engineering courses in Pakistan. This gave rise to a
conservative reform Islam that challenges the previous Islam of the Sufi
orders, but remains in the minority.
In Malawi, the number of primary school pupils has increased from 1.9
million to 3.4 million since the introduction of free primary education
in 1995. At that time, only half of school-age children attended school,
but now that figure is 80%. A major problem in village schools is class
sizes of more than 80 children. There is a severe shortage of teachers.
Over the last decade, many teachers without a teaching degree have been
hired and many former teachers have been brought back to improve the
situation. Despite these efforts, the teacher shortage was greater in
2006 than in 2001 because many older teachers left their jobs. In 2015,
the literacy rate was 65.8%.
For the first 30 years after
independence, Malawi had only one university, the University of Malawi,
with five constituent colleges: Chancellor College in Zomba, Polytechnic
in Blantyre, Bunda College of Agriculture and College of Nursing in
Lilongwe, and College of Medicine in Blantyre. Since then, three more
universities have been opened: Mzuzu University in Mzuzu, Livingstonia
University in Livingstonia and Ekwendeni, and the Catholic University of
Malawi in Nguludi near Blantyre.
The country's health spending in 2021 amounted to 7.4% of gross
domestic product. Each district has a district hospital with at least
100 beds. There are operating rooms, microscopes, and X-ray and
sonography equipment for diagnostics everywhere. The departments of
ophthalmology, general medicine, dermatology, and dentistry are usually
staffed. Medicines are usually dispensed free of charge. In the large
cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe, and Mzuzu, the equipment is more varied
and better. This health system is supplemented by medical centers in the
surrounding area, which are often staffed by nurses. It is possible for
a nurse to look after several medical centers. So-called clinicians are
also common in the medical centers. In Malawi, clinicians perform most
of the tasks that doctors in Germany take on, but they have only
completed three years of training. Experienced clinical officers with
appropriate further training specialize in various disciplines - for
example in orthopedics, surgery or urology - and are somewhat more
senior. They carry out consultations and work in the operating room.
Both training to become a nurse and training to become clinical officers
are very expensive and are therefore reserved for the higher income
groups in Malawi. For example, nursing staff distribute medication and
assist with procedures. The "care" and "provision" of patients is almost
exclusively carried out by relatives. In 2018, 1.5 doctors per 10,000
inhabitants practiced in Malawi. The mortality rate among children under
5 was 40.1 per 1,000 live births in 2022.
7.3% of men and 11.1%
of women (15-49 years) are HIV-positive (as of 2018). Since young people
in particular are affected, this has enormous economic consequences (see
also: HIV/AIDS in Africa). These are exacerbated by strong population
growth, which puts extreme pressure on the country and its resources,
the food situation, the labor market and social benefits.
Malawi
is (along with Burkina Faso) one of the focus countries of
OneDollarGlasses activities: schoolchildren with poor eyesight receive
glasses free of charge; adults for the equivalent of 5 euros.
According to the 1966 constitution, Malawi is a presidential republic in the Commonwealth. The only permitted party was the Malawi Congress Party. After a referendum in 1993, the introduction of a multi-party system was decided. According to this, the parliament, the Malawian National Assembly, has 193 members who are re-elected every five years. The head of state, the president, is also elected in a direct election every five years. The most recent presidential and parliamentary elections took place on May 21, 2019. The legal system is based on British law.
Malawi is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
There are border disputes between Malawi and Tanzania. Malawi was awarded the entire Lake Malawi in 1890 when the colonial borders were drawn (Helgoland-Zanzibar Treaty). Tanzania claims the areas that lie on its half of the lake under current international law. The conflict escalated when oil and gas deposits were discovered on the Tanzanian side in 2012, which Malawi wants to exploit economically.
The Malawian Defence Force has a personnel strength of 25,000
soldiers and includes
the army (with the Air Wing and the Naval
Detachment),
police (with the paramilitary Mobile Force Unit)
It was formed with Malawi's independence from parts of the King's
African Rifles.
In 2017, Malawi spent just under 0.8 percent of
its economic output or 47 million US dollars on its armed forces.
Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International have been
reporting for several years that attacks on people with albinism in
Malawi are increasing significantly. In May 2015, the UN Human Rights
Council assessed the human rights situation in Malawi. It found that the
government had accepted 154 of the 199 recommendations. According to
Amnesty International, the rejected recommendations were mainly those to
abolish the death penalty and to abolish provisions in the penal code
that criminalize consensual sexual acts between adults of the same sex.
The constitution stipulates, among other things, equal rights for women.
Accordingly, laws that contain misogynistic rules are unconstitutional
and will be repealed by the Malawi Law Commission. There is currently no
equal opportunity for the sexes in Malawi. The proportion of women in
secondary education has fallen dramatically.
The country has one
of the highest rates of married girls under the age of 18 in the world.
Malawi is one of the 26 countries in the world where girls are more
likely to be forced into marriage than to attend secondary school. In
2015, the Malawian government passed a law that, among other things,
sets the age of consent to marry. Since then, a woman must be at least
18 years old before she can marry. The literacy rate is also increasing.
A widespread problem is the increasing violence against women. Domestic
violence against women has now been made a criminal offense.
In
rural areas, girls are traditionally raped after their first period. The
young woman's family pays a so-called "hyena", usually an older man, to
carry out the rape. This sexual abuse was banned in 2013, but is still
practiced. Women suffer from it all their lives: the violence inflicted
on them and the fact that this is commissioned by their own parents, a
double betrayal against the young woman.
Homosexuality was a criminal offense for a long time. Malawi's President Joyce Banda repealed all laws on homosexuality in November 2012.
Malawi is one of the poorest economies in the world. The majority of
the population lives on less than one US dollar per day per capita (as
of 2005). The gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020 is 568 US dollars per
capita. The GDP adjusted for purchasing power in 2021 was almost 32
billion US dollars, or 1,510 US dollars per inhabitant. Real economic
growth in the same year was 2.2%. The inflation rate has been very high
in recent years. The economy depends on significant financial subsidies
from the IMF, the World Bank and individual donor nations. In 2003, the
proportion of the population living on less than 1 US dollar per day was
42%. In the Global Competitiveness Index, which measures a country's
competitiveness, Malawi ranks 132nd out of 137 countries (as of
2017-2018). In the 2022 ranking according to the Economic Freedom Index,
the country ranks 134th out of 177.
According to a 2017 study by
Credit Suisse Bank, Malawi is the country with the lowest wealth per
capita. It was only 114 US dollars on average and 45 US dollars on
median for each adult in the country.
Corruption is widespread in Malawi. In this case, it is a kind of
distribution struggle that is based on traditional rights, privileges
and supremacy. In addition to the public state budget, there is an
informal one that is important for the stability of the country, but is
extremely conflict-prone. From 2008 onwards, numerous businesses were
founded by Chinese, which sometimes led to unrest. To protect the local
economy, the government passed a law on July 31, 2012 that prohibits
foreign traders from doing business outside of Malawi's four
metropolitan areas.
The unemployment rate in 2013 was reported to
be 20.4%, which is very high. Most jobs are in the informal economy and
many people are underemployed. In 2013, 76.9% of all workers worked in
agriculture, 19% in the service sector and 4.1% in industry.
The economy is predominantly agricultural; the agricultural sector
employs 90% of the population and generates almost 40% of the gross
domestic product and almost 90% of export revenues. The main exports are
tobacco, followed by tea and sugar cane, while maize is mainly grown for
domestic consumption. Tea cultivation was first introduced in the
Mulanje region during the British colonial period in what was then
Nyasaland in the 1890s. Scottish missionaries played a key role in this.
The tea processing industry in Malawi is the oldest still in existence
on the African continent. Even after independence in 1960, production
remained in the hands of European planters for a long time. In 1976, out
of 41,000 acres with a total production of 28.3 million tons of tea,
only 3,828 acres with 2.3 million tons of production were cultivated by
Africans.
2002 was a catastrophic drought year that led to
widespread hunger. Since then, Malawi has introduced and expanded a
voucher system - against the advice of experts from developed countries
- under which farmers receive subsidized fertilizers at reduced prices.
This program is said to have significantly increased agricultural
production and reduced hunger in the country; in 2007, Malawi sold more
maize to the World Food Program than any other country in southern
Africa and also supplied hundreds of thousands of tons of maize to
Zimbabwe.
Malawi has primarily bauxite and niobium deposits.
At
Kayelekera in the North Rukuru Basin there are 11,000 tonnes of uranium
ore with a grade of 0.17%. In April 2009, the Australian company Paladin
opened the Kayelekera open-cast mine there, in which around 200 million
US dollars have been invested to date. The open-cast mine was closed
again in 2014. Annual revenues for Malawi are said to have amounted to
over 100 million US dollars, making the open-cast mine the country's
largest source of foreign currency and contributing almost 10% to
Malawi's gross national product through jobs and supply industries.
Near Livingstonia lies the Mchenga coal mine, a deposit of 2 million
tonnes (possibly 20 million) with a high calorific value (0.5% S, 28.5
MJ/kg), but with completely outdated equipment. There is also coal at
Lufira (0.6–50 million t, 2.2% S, 19.7 MJ/kg), at Ngana (15–50 million
t, 2.2% S, 19.7 MJ/kg), Mwabvi (5–10 million t, 0.76% S, 17.5 MJ/kg),
Lengwe (10 million t, 0.51% S, 11.5 MJ/kg), Kayerekera 0.5–5 possible
165 million t (0.6% S, 20 MJ/kg).
The heavy mineral sand at Lake
Malawi near Senga contains 670,000 t of garnet, ilmenite and monazite.
Near the railway line at Tengani there are 2.5 million tonnes of such
sand containing 3% ilmenite and 300,000 tonnes containing 0.3% rutile,
an economically important titanium mineral. At Ilomba Hill there are
100,000 tonnes containing 3%, at Chilwa Island there are 375,000 tonnes
containing 0.95% and Thundulu there are 900,000 tonnes containing 0.37%
niobium-bearing mineral components.
At Thundulu there are also 2
million tonnes of phosphate deposits containing 17%. At Linthipe there
are 14 million tonnes of alumina used by Engineering and Foundry Co. for
white pottery.
At Mchinji there are 1.6 megatonnes of quartz sand
containing 97.2% SiO2 and less than 0.2% iron oxide, suitable for the
manufacture of glass. The Chilwa sandbanks also contain 25 million
tonnes of quartz sand with a grade of 92.7% SiO2 and 0.62% iron. There
are graphite deposits of 2.7 million tonnes near Katengeza and Chimutu
in central Malawi.
Malawi has considerable niobium and tantalum
resources. The relevant metal contents are bound to rock units of
nepheline syenites and carbonatites. In the west of the country, around
150 km north of the capital Lilongwe, not far from Mzimba, 40 tonnes of
raw material were extracted in 2014 as part of the Kanyika Niobium
Project and transported to the Guangzhou Research Institute of
Non-ferrous Metals in the People's Republic of China for a metallurgical
pilot project. These niobium deposits have recently been explored by the
Australian company Globe Metals & Mining.
Electricity is mainly
generated from hydropower. There are corresponding dams on the Shire
below Lake Malawi.
Wood carving is widespread. Portuguese influence is also clearly
noticeable in the manufacture of wooden chests, which Mozambican civil
war refugees decorate with Moorish-inspired patterns, which has been
adopted by Malawian craftsmen. An independent sector with a division of
labor has now established itself here. In Mua Mission, south of Salima,
there is now a recognized wood carving school.
Development aid
projects are also now bearing fruit. Handicrafts made from raffia,
reeds, palm and corn leaves are widespread and have reached a
professional level. Pottery workshops can be found primarily in the
Dedza region. A weaving workshop for the disabled in Blantyre is now
also independent.
A network of car repair shops has long since
spread across the country, and these can now also repair newer cars. On
the basis of scrapped cars, a local sector in the metalworking industry
has emerged that can manufacture simple parts itself. Pots, ovens and
stoves are offered nationwide from their own production. The same
applies to construction services.
The financial system in Malawi is controlled by the Reserve Bank of
Malawi. The largest commercial bank in the country, the National Bank of
Malawi, has 13 branches and a number of agencies in the country. It can
be found in almost every district capital, but not in the surrounding
areas. It operates profitably and employs around 1,000 people. There are
also several private banks that have branches in the larger towns and
some also have ATMs.
The customs of banking in Malawi differ from
those in Europe mainly in that accounts cannot be overdrawn and
transfers take weeks. The account holder only has access to the money
that is actually booked as credit in his account. In the case of
projects, this can delay the entire planning process and make punctual
salary payments impossible.
When exchanging traveler's cheques
(at least until 2006), the sales advice was required. This sometimes
also has to be signed and stamped. Paying with VISA is now possible
without any problems in all large supermarkets, many shops and gas
stations across the country.
The state budget in 2016 included expenditures of the equivalent of
1.24 billion US dollars, compared to revenues of the equivalent of 1.03
billion US dollars. This results in a budget deficit of 3.9% of GDP.
The national debt in 2016 was 62.1% of GDP.
In 2006, the
share of government expenditure (in % of GDP) was in the following
areas:
Health: 12.9%
Education: 5.8% (2003)
Military: 1.3%
Malawi has (as of 2013) seven airports with asphalt runways (Lilongwe
Kamuzu International Airport 3047 m, Blantyre Chileka Airport 2437 m and
Mzuzu Airport as well as four others with 914–1523 m) and 25 with
unpaved runways (up to 2437 m).
The national airline is Malawian
Airlines. Its predecessor companies were Air Malawi and Central African
Airways.
Kamuzu International Airport is regularly served
(currently five times a week) by the South African South African Airways
(SAA) from Johannesburg, by Kenya Airways from Nairobi and by Ethiopian
Airlines from Addis Ababa. SAA flies from Johannesburg to Blantyre twice
a week.
In Malawi, traffic drives on the left.
Malawi has a road
network of 14,597 kilometers. In 2001, 2,773 kilometers of this was
asphalted and 11,821 kilometers were gravel roads maintained with a
grader. There are also a number of roads that are sometimes better and
sometimes worse.
The most important road is well developed from
north to south, although not everywhere asphalted. There is an asphalt
road from the Zambian border via Chipita to Karonga. The section from
the Tanzanian border at Kyela/Songwe to Mzuzu has been expanded and
asphalted with German development aid, especially the climb into the
mountains. From Mzuzu to Lilongwe there is also asphalt throughout. From
Lilongwe there is a well-developed asphalt road via Dedza to Liwonde and
Zomba. The option to Salima on the lake and further to Chipoka and then
via Balaka to Liwonde is just as good. The asphalt road from Nkhotakota
to Kasungu, built in 2006, has largely become an unpaved track due to a
lack of maintenance, particularly in the mountainous eastern part.
A good asphalt road leads from Zomba to Blantyre. From there, a very
good road, built with German development aid, leads to Chikwawa and
bridges the Shire River. Following this river closer and further, the
road remains asphalted as far as Nchalo, then asphalted sections
alternate with gravel roads. After Bangula, it runs close to the river,
which forms the state border with Mozambique. From the border with the
Nsanje district, the road remains a gravel road with many potholes until
the border crossing with Mozambique at the southernmost point of Malawi
between the towns of Marka and Vila Nova da Fronteira.
Important
connections to the west are the asphalted road from Lilongwe to Chipata
in Zambia and the very good asphalt road/gravel road from Blantyre to
Mwanza and further asphalted to Tete in Mozambique.
To the east,
the asphalt road leads from Liwonde via Mangochi to Chiponde on the
Mozambican border and from there to the port city of Nacala on the
Indian Ocean. Another asphalt road runs south from Blantyre and then
eastwards via Thyolo, Luchenza and Muloza to the Mozambican border and
the neighbouring border town of Milange.
Malawi had the third
highest number of fatal traffic accidents in relation to the number of
inhabitants in the world. In 2013, 5,732 people died in traffic
accidents.
Express coaches run between Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu. There are
regular minibus connections in the rest of the country.
Buses run
daily from Blantyre and Lilongwe to Johannesburg, Lusaka and Harare.
The motor vessel Ilala runs regularly on Lake Malawi. Most of the rivers are not navigable. There is an inland port in Nsanje in the south of the country, which is connected to the Indian Ocean via the Shire and the Zambezi. At the moment (2012), however, there is no maritime traffic due to disagreement with Mozambique over the use of the Zambezi.
The Malawian grid is fed by run-of-river power plants on the Shire. The demand is around 300 MW, but the power plant capacity is only 240 MW. There are plans by a Chinese company to build a 1000 MW hydroelectric plant.
Malawi has a landline telephone network with 93,000 connections. 305
Internet hosts served 46,100 Internet users in 2005. The only Malawian
Internet provider is MalawiNet, founded in 1997. It is operated by three
owners. These are ComNet from the USA (42%), Malawi Posts and
Telecommunications Corporation (MPTC) (38%) and Bj Trust of Malawi
(20%).
Internet reception is excellent throughout the country.
Even in remote areas, calls are made via the Internet. Several providers
compete in every settlement with prepaid offers. The credit is entered
into the cell phone using a number, like a scratch card.
DHL has
one or more branches in larger cities. Mail from Europe and the USA
should be ready for collection within a week.
The country's state
broadcaster is the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, which has existed
since 1964 and now has 18 broadcasting locations. Two radio programs
(Radio 1 and Radio 2fm) and one television program (MBCtv) are produced.
Broadcasting is also via satellite. Radio 1 offers information in
English, Chichewa, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena and Chitonga. There are
also two private radio stations, FM101 since 1998 and Capital Radio
102.5 since 1999.
In Malawi, the press was exclusively
government-oriented until 1994 under the dictates of Hastings Kamuzu
Banda and dependent on the state broadcaster and the Malawi News Agency.
Since then, a diverse media landscape has developed, including 11
newspapers and magazines, each with different publication cycles.
In 2023, 18 percent of Malawi's residents used the Internet.
Although freedom of the press is guaranteed in Malawi by the 1995
constitution, there are conflicts in practice. The current law governing
the media is the Communications Act of 1998. The non-governmental
organization Reporters Without Borders sees obvious problems for freedom
of the press in Malawi.