Malawi Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in Malawi, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals.
Select Country Guide
Business Travel
Last published date:

Business Customs 

Malawians are characteristically helpful in both personal and business dealings. Business travelers to Malawi may also seek an appointment with the U.S. Embassy Lilongwe by contacting the Economic and Commercial Section in advance at +265-1-773-166 extensions 3463 and 3253, or by email to LilongwePOL-ECONAllStaff@state.gov.

Attire
Malawi business attire is relatively formal. Business suits are recommended. 

Food
A variety of food is normally available in Malawi’s urban areas. Expatriates patronize a handful of restaurants in both Lilongwe and Blantyre.  Rural areas have very few restaurants, almost none of which attract foreigners. The U.S. Embassy recommends drinking only boiled, bottled, or distilled water.  Raw, unpeeled fruits and vegetables should be avoided.

Housing
Short-term visitors to Malawi will most likely stay in tourist-class hotels, which are in major urban areas and lakeside resorts. Accommodations in rural areas are generally not recommended. Expatriate residents in Malawi generally live in modern housing in the major urban centers. Power and water are generally available in major cities, but supply interruptions are common. The housing markets in Lilongwe and Blantyre are tight. Local real estate agents are available to help locate housing.

Travel Advisory 

The Department of State Consular Information Sheet for Malawi can be found at: Travel. State.Gov Info on Malawi.

The Malawi Tourism Guides TOURISM Malawi, and Lonely Planet Malawi (Lonely Planet) have information on Malawi tourism.

Visa Requirements

For non-Malawians to enter the country, travelers must have a passport with at least two blank pages, a visa or entry permit, return ticket, and proof of adequate funds for travel. Following an amendment to the immigration act in February 2024, U.S. citizens traveling to Malawi for tourism, transit, or business are not required to obtain a visa for visits up to 30 days. Travelers, however, are still required to apply for an entry authorization submitted through the Malawi Visa online portal on www.evisa.gov.mw at no cost.

U.S. business travelers should contact the Malawi Embassy in Washington, DC for the latest information on visa requirements.

The U.S Embassy Lilongwe website also has useful information for all travelers.

U.S. companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States are advised that security evaluations are handled via an interagency process. 

Visa applicants should go to the following link(s): State Department Visa Website.

Currency

The local currency, the Malawi kwacha (mkw), is convertible to other currencies at banks and forex bureaus in Malawi.  Banks tend to have U.S. dollars, South African Rand, British Pounds, and Euros. Most places offering money exchange will only accept larger, relatively new U.S. dollar bills.

Most ATMs provide kwacha via Visa or MasterCard, provided that a credit, debit, or ATM card is compatible.  ATMs can be found in the major cities. Travelers’ checks are accepted at most banks and forex bureaus, but the exchange rates used for travelers’ checks are generally disadvantageous to the traveler compared to those for cash. Travelers can pay using a Visa, and occasionally MasterCard, at most major shops, tourist-oriented businesses, tourist-class hotels, travel agents, car rental agencies, and a few restaurants in Lilongwe and Blantyre. Most smaller shops do not accept debit or credit cards.

In 2020, the RBM issued the Business Licensing (Deployment and Usage of Electronic Payment Channels) Regulations, 2019 to mandate licensed entities to deploy and use one or more electronic payment channels for payment of goods and services to provide a convenient, safe, and efficient experience for customers. Regulations require that entities be registered and use electronic fiscal devices under the Value Added Tax Act, and those with annual turnover of $9,670 and above, to deploy Point of Sale (POS) devices at their premises. Entities outside these two categories are required to deploy at least one electronic payment channel, such as mobile money, mobile banking, or internet banking.

Telecommunications/Electronics  

Malawi’s telecommunications infrastructure is functional but often overburdened. Mobile telephone service is expanding rapidly and more than 80 percent of households have at least one mobile phone. Two companies (Malawi Telecom Limited (MTL) and Access Communications) were originally licensed to provide fixed line telephone service. However, both are also providing mobile phone services.  Telekom Network Malawi, Airtel Malawi, and Access Communications offer cellular telephone service.  Malawi has well-established GSM (TNM and Airtel) and emerging CDMA (Access) mobile networks. Most corporate offices and tourist-class hotels have telephones and faxes. The international country code for Malawi is 265.
There are two internet gateway providers and several internet service providers.  

Approximately 27 percent of Malawians used the Internet as of 2024.  Internet is primarily accessible in urban areas, although the speed is often slow because of limited bandwidth. Internet is not widely available in rural areas. Wireless access to the internet is improving in some areas with 3G and 4G mobile phone networks now available in rural areas located along major transportation corridors with adequate communications tower coverage. Tourist resorts in isolated areas often have satellite internet links.

Malawi’s electricity is 220 volts, 50-60 Hertz, though voltage quality is unreliable. Surge protectors are recommended for sensitive or valuable electronics. The most common plug is the standard UK, square 3-pronged plug, although a variety of plug types can be found.  

Transportation 

Ground Transportation
The country has approximately 3,125 miles of paved roads, most in varying stages of disrepair.  Paved roads connect Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, and Zomba as well as the lakeshore communities of Nkhotakota, Nkhata Bay, Salima, and Mangochi. Paved roads extend from Blantyre to the borders of Mozambique, from Lilongwe to the Zambian border, and from Karonga to the Tanzanian border. Inadequate drainage often contributes to the premature break-up of road surfaces and washouts are common during the rainy season. Many dirt roads are not passable during the rainy season, roughly November to April.
Rental cars are available for hire in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba, and Mzuzu. Driving at night outside urban areas is unsafe.  Malawi has an extensive network of buses, but only the best class bus service connecting Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba, and Mzuzu is normally considered acceptable for business travel.

Air Transportation
Airports on the outskirts of Lilongwe and Blantyre handle international air traffic and offer daily and weekly flights to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Nairobi, Kenya; and Johannesburg, South Africa.  Connections via the international hubs can be made to Asia, Europe, and North America.  There are also reliable flights from Malawi to Lusaka, Zambia; Harare, Zimbabwe; and Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.  There are daily flights between Blantyre and Lilongwe. 

Rail Transportation
Nacala Logistics Malawi (NLM), previously called Central East African Railways Company (CEAR), operates limited passenger services between Limbe, Balaka, and the Mozambique border at Nayuchi, and provides limited freight service between Lilongwe, Blantyre, and the Mozambican port of Nacala. A track extension connects Malawi’s network to the Zambian network, but there is no scheduled service to Zambia.

Vale, a Brazilian mining company, constructed and rehabilitated the rail line from Tete/Moatize in Mozambique through Malawi to the port of Nacala.  The rail line was completed in 2015.  In December 2021 Vale announced it had entered into a binding agreement with Vulcan to sell the Moatize coal mine and the Nacala Logistics Corridor.

The governments of Malawi and Mozambique are jointly working to rehabilitate and reconstruct the Sena rail line to provide direct rail connection between Malawi and the Mozambican port of Beira.  Currently, Malawi has railway access to the port of Nacala in Mozambique. There are also plans to rehabilitate the railway line connecting Malawi to Zambia at the Mchinji border and construct a railway line connecting Malawi and Tanzania.

Water Transportation
Limited freight and passenger services are offered on Lake Malawi.  Monkey Bay hosts a shipyard, several boat workshops, and several transportation vessels.  The vessels have capacity to transport containers, petroleum products, and passengers through the ports of Chilumba and Chipoka on Lake Malawi, including stops in Tanzania and Mozambique. The Malawi government manages the lake services and ports.

Language 

English is the accepted business language of Malawi.  However, outside of urban areas a variety of other languages are spoken, and in the rural areas it can be difficult to find English speakers.  The most common local languages include Chichewa, Chitumbuka, and Chitonga in the North, and Chiyao and Lomwe in the South.

Health 

Malawi’s health facilities are far below Western standards.  Malaria and other tropical diseases are prevalent throughout the country.  The HIV/AIDS rate is high (9.6 percent), particularly in urban areas.  Much of Lake Malawi and the country’s river network is infested with schistosomiasis (bilharzia).  Malaria prophylaxis is recommended while in Malawi, as is a comprehensive immunization regime before entering the country.  The U.S. Embassy recommends drinking only boiled, bottled, or distilled water.  Raw, unpeeled fruits and vegetables should be avoided.

For more information please visit: CDC.GOV Malawi Info

Local time, business hours, and holidays 

Malawi is on GMT+2.  There is no system of daylight savings time during any part of the year. Official government business hours are 07:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:30 Monday to Friday but most international organizations, government companies/parastatals, and private businesses close at 17:00. Some businesses and banks may be open on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, but usually only for limited hours and in limited locations.

Malawi official holidays (if a holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, it is observed on Monday) for 2025 are:

•    New Year’s Day - January 1, 2025
•    John Chilembwe Day - January 15, 2025
•    Martyr’s Day - March 3, 2025
•    Eid al Fitr - March 31, 2025 
•    Good Friday - April 18, 2025
•    Holy Saturday - April 17, 2025
•    Easter Monday - April 21, 2025
•    Labor Day - May 1, 2025
•    Kamuzu Day - May 14, 2025
•    Independence Day - July 7, 2025
•    Mother’s Day - October 15, 2025
•    Christmas - December 25, 2025
•    Boxing Day - December 26, 2025
 

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility