Malawi
Malawi is a landlocked country in south-east Africa, bordered by Tanzania to the north and north-east, Mozambique to the east, south and south-west, and Zambia to the west. The capital is Lilongwe, while Blantyre is the commercial centre. The country has a population of about 20-million people and covers an area of approximately 118 000 km². Malawi's economy is predominantly agricultural, with tobacco, tea and sugar among its principal export crops, though the government has sought to diversify into mining and manufacturing. The currency is the Malawian kwacha. The country is rich in mineral resources, including rare earths, uranium, bauxite, coal and gemstones, and mining activity has expanded in recent years. Malawi is a member of the Southern African Development Community, the African Union and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. The country operates as a multiparty democracy with a presidential system of government. Malawi gained independence from British colonial rule in 1964 and was known as Nyasaland during the colonial period. Lake Malawi, one of Africa's Great Lakes, dominates the eastern border and is a significant natural and economic feature.
Malawi Updates
Farming can help drive southern Africa’s growth if countries in the region make trade easier
1st September 2026 The focus on agricultural development at the Southern African Development Community’s 46th summit in August 2026 reflected a clear understanding... →
SA can’t tackle migration while ignoring Zimbabwe’s democratic backsliding
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 31st August 2026 South Africa and SADC’s reluctance to remedy misgovernance in their neighbourhood contributes to migration, sparking xenophobia and causing... →
From maze to map: South Africa's cannabis journey from private use to public value
25th August 2026 Imagine a South African cannabis sector in which the law is not a maze but a map. A cultivator knows whether cultivation is for private use, hemp,... →
Zambia’s messy but decisive election: government shows strength; democracy shows weakness
24th August 2026 Across southern Africa, sitting presidents have faced a wave of turnovers and electoral setbacks in the past few years. Malawi and Botswana saw... →
South Africa takes over regional economic bloc as trade falters 
By: Bloomberg 17th August 2026 South Africa is taking over leadership of the Southern African Development Community with a push to deepen regional commerce, as the bloc’s own... →
Mozambique: Southern Africa's emerging industrial platform
14th August 2026 Mozambique has spent a decade being defined by one story. It may be time to pay attention to another. The first is well known. The discovery of... →
SADC’s 2026 summit must tackle migration head-on
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 4th August 2026 The 17 August meeting in Durban should turn shared history and economic interdependence into coordinated action against xenophobia. South Africa’s... →
Nigeria tells South Africa to curb xenophobic attacks on migrants, questions State response
By: Reuters 28th July 2026 Nigeria urged South Africa on Monday to do more to prevent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants, saying repeated violence was... →
SA: Ronald Lamola: Address by International Relations and Cooperation Minister, on behalf of Deputy President Paul Mashatile, at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation Winter Seminar, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Sandton, Gauteng (24/07/2026)
27th July 2026 Indeed, the current wave of discussions around migration, border management, social cohesion, economic competition, and public service delivery has... →
South Africa needs smarter visas, not just harder borders
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 22nd July 2026 A visa regime acknowledging the inevitability of some migration between neighbouring countries could affordably reduce irregular migration. Most... →
