Country Profile - MALAWI

General Information

Area: 118,484 sq km (45,747 sq miles).

Population: 9,933,868 (1998).

Population density: 83.8 per sq km.

Capital: Lilongwe. Population: 440,471 including suburbs (1998). Blantyre, with a population of 502,053 (2000), is the largest city in the country.

GEOGRAPHY: Malawi shares borders to the north and northeast with Tanzania, to the south, east and southwest with Mozambique and to the west with Zambia. Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa, is the dominant feature of the country, forming the eastern boundary with Tanzania and Mozambique. The scenery varies in the country’s three regions. The Northern Region is mountainous, with the highest peaks reaching over 3000m (9843ft), and features the rolling Nyika Plateau, rugged escarpments, valleys and the thickly forested slopes of the Viphya Plateau. The Central Region is mainly a plateau, over 1000m (3300ft) high, with fine upland scenery. This is the country’s main agricultural area. The Southern Region is mostly low-lying except for the 2100m- (6890ft-) high Zomba Plateau south of Lake Malawi and the huge, isolated Mulanje Massif (3000m/10,000ft) in the southeast. The variety of landscape and the wildlife it supports make this relatively unspoilt country particularly attractive to visitors.

Government: Republic since 1966. Gained independence from the UK in 1964. Head of State and Government: President Bakili Muluzi since 1994.

Language: The national language is the widely spoken Chichewa but the official language, and that of the business community, is English.

Religion: 80 per cent are Christian, 13 per cent Muslim, 7 per cent follow traditional beliefs and there is a small Hindu minority.

Time: GMT + 2.

Electricity: 220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. The standard plug is square three-pin.

Communications:

Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 265 (no area codes). Outgoing international code: 101. The digits 01 were added to the beginning of each land telephone number in 2002; the zero should be omitted when calling from outside Malawi. The number of landlines has doubled in the past three years.

Mobile telephone: GSM 900 network. The digits 08 and 09 are added to the beginning of each mobile telephone for the two providers respectively. Network providers include CelTel Limited (website: www.msi-cellular.com) and Callpoint 900. Roaming agreements currently exist with Vodafone.

Fax: There are facilities for travellers in the main towns, including those in hotel business centres.

Internet: ISPs include MalawiNet (website: www.malawi.net). Services are available in business centres in hotels, and there are a few Internet cafes.

Telegram: Public facilities for sending telegrams exist at the main post offices.

Post: Letters take about 7 to 10 days to reach Europe by airmail. Post office hours: generally Mon-Fri 0730-1200 and 1300-1700. Post offices in some of the larger towns may be open Sun 0900-1000, but only to sell stamps or to accept telegrams.

Press: There are two main daily English-language newspapers, The Daily Times (Mon-Fri) and The Monitor. The Malawi News and The Nation are published weekly, and a number of other newspapers are published periodically.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

Passport/Visa

Passport Required? Visa Required? Return Ticket Required? British Yes No Yes Australian Yes No Yes Canadian Yes No Yes USA Yes No/1 Yes OtherEU Yes Yes/1 Yes Japanese Yes No/1 Yes

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond date of intended departure required by all.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:

(a) nationals of commonwealth countries (except Cameroon, India, Nigeria and Pakistan who do require a visa), Iceland, Israel, Korea (Rep), Madagascar, Nepal, Norway, San Marino and Taiwan; (b) 1. nationals of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the USA; (c) foreign nationals in transit who are continuing their journey by the same or connecting aircraft to a third country within 24 hours. Permission must be obtained to leave the airport, however.

Types of visa and cost: Single-entry: £45. Multiple-entry: £70 (up to 6 months); £95 (up to 1 year). Transit: £32.

Validity: 3 months from date of issue.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy or High Commission); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Valid passport. (b) Two application forms. (c) Two passport-size photos. (d) Fee. (e) Onward or return air ticket. (f) Proof of means of support during residence in country. (g) Confirmed hotel booking or host address of where visitor may stay. (h) Letter from company/sponsor, where required.

Working days required: In most cases, applications will be processed within 5 working days, but for nationals of India, Nigeria and Pakistan, applications may take 2 to 3 weeks.

Temporary residence: Application should be made prior to arrival. Contact the Controller of Immigration Services, PO Box 331, Blantyre, Malawi.

Money

Currency: Kwacha (K) = 100 tambala. Notes are in denominations of K500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of K1 and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 tambala.

Currency exchange: US Dollars, Pounds Sterling, Euros or South African Rand are readily exchanged but lesser-known currencies may prove difficult to exchange.

Credit & debit cards: Acceptance of credit and debit cards is very limited, although in Lilongwe and Blantyre and in main hotels American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa can be used. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Travellers cheques can be exchanged in banks, hotels and other institutions. In remote areas, the Treasury Office of Local District Commissioner’s offices will cash travellers cheques. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars, Euros, Pounds Sterling or South African Rand.

Currency restrictions: The import of local currency is unlimited. The export of local currency is limited to K200. The import of foreign currency is unlimited on arrival. The export of foreign currency is allowed up to the amount imported and declared on entry.

Exchange rate indicators: The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Kwacha against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Aug ’03 Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May '04 £1.00= 161.08 180.56 194.94 194.87 $1.00= 101.01 106.40 107.10 109.10

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1400.

Duty Free

Duty-Free: The following goods may be imported into Malawi by passengers without incurring customs duty:

200 cigarettes or 225g of tobacco in any form; for those over 16 years of age, also 1l of spirits and 1l of beer and 1l of wine.

Prohibited items: The import of firearms is prohibited unless a permit has been bought in advance from the Registrar of Firearms, Box 41, Zomba.

Public Holidays

Public Holidays: Jan 1 2004 New Year’s Day. Jan 15 John Chilembwe Day. Mar 3 Martyrs’ Day. Apr 9-12 Easter. May 1 Labour Day. Jun 14 Freedom Day. Jul 6 Republic Day. Oct 11 Mothers’ Day. Dec 13 Arbor Day. Dec 25-26 Christmas. Jan 1 2005 New Year’s Day. Jan 15 John Chilembwe Day. Mar 3 Martyrs’ Day. Mar 25-28 Easter. May 1 Labour Day. Jun 14 Freedom Day. Jul 6 Republic Day. Oct 10 Mothers’ Day. Dec 12 Arbor Day. Dec 25-26 Christmas.

Note: If a public holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding day will be a holiday; if on a Sunday, the next day will be a holiday. Ad hoc public holidays or extensions may also be declared, sometimes at short notice.

Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required? Yellow Fever No 1 Cholera Yes 2 Typhoid and Polio 3 N/A Malaria 4 N/A

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving from or transiting through infected areas.

2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to Malawi. However, cholera is a risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. See the Health appendix.

Note: It has been reported that cholera vaccination certificates have been demanded at the border with Tanzania; if immunisation is necessary, avoid the use of local needles under all circumstances.

3: Typhoid may occur in rural areas.

4: Malaria risk exists all year throughout the country. The predominant malignant falciparum strain is reported to be highly resistant to chloroquine and resistant to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine.

Food & drink: All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Other risks: Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present, and has been confirmed to occur in some parts of Lake Malawi. Avoid swimming and paddling in slow-moving or stagnant fresh water; swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) is reported. Hepatitis A, B, C and E and TB are all present. Meningococcal meningitis can occur, especially in the dry season. Avoid tick and insect bites, as they can result in viral diseases. HIV infection is a risk. Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information consult the Health appendix. Health care: Health insurance is essential. It is advisable to take personal medical supplies, including needles.

Travel – International

AIR: For intercontinental flights from Europe, British Airways has a weekly direct service, as well as operating in conjunction with Air Malawi (QM) via the regional hubs of Dar es Salaam, Harare, Johannesburg, Lusaka and Nairobi. Air Zimbabwe, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM and South African Airways offer similar connecting services. Regional links between Malawi and Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe are provided by Air Malawi and the various national airlines.

Approximate flight times: From Lilongwe to London is approximately 12 hours.

International airports: Lilongwe (LLW) (Lilongwe International) is 22km (13 miles) from the city (travel time – 20 minutes). Taxis and a bus service are available to the city from the airport. Airport facilities include a duty-free shop, post office, local travel agents, car hire, bank/bureau de change, restaurant and bar. Blantyre (BLZ) (Chileka) is 18km (11 miles) from the city. There is a coach service to the city. Airport facilities include car hire, restaurant and bar.

Departure tax: A passenger service charge of US$30 (payable in US currency) is levied on all international flights. Malawi passport holders can pay in local currency (K950). Children under 2 years of age and transit passengers are exempt.

ROAD: There are road connections with Mozambique at Mwanza in southwestern Malawi and at Chiponde in the east; with Tanzania at the Songwe River Bridge in the far northwest of the country; and with Zambia on the main Lilongwe–Lusaka highway near Chipata in the west. The route into Zimbabwe via the Tete corridor in Mozambique has been considered unsafe in the past but is now widely used by both visitors and business people.

Travel – Internal

AIR: Air Malawi’s domestic network provides regular links between Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Club Makokola (southern lakeshore) and Liwonde National Park. A number of air charter companies also serve the main tourist destinations in the country.

Departure tax: K150 is payable on domestic flights.

LAKE: Cruises on Lake Malawi are available by local steamer. Food and cabins are available. For details contact local travel bureaux.

RAIL: Malawi Railways operates the lines in the country. The main route connects Mchinji, Lilongwe, Salima, Chipoka, Blantyre, Limbe and Nsanje. For further information, contact Malawi Railways, PO Box 5144, Limbe (tel: 01 640 844; fax: 01 643 496 or 640 683). Trains tend to be slow and crowded and are little used by tourists.

ROAD: Traffic drives on the left. There are over 13,500km (8400 miles) of roads in the country. All major roads are tarmac and most secondary roads are all-weather. Bus: There is a good bus system, including an express service, connecting main towns. The journey from Mzuzu to Karonga is particularly spectacular. Luxury coaches connect Blantyre to Lilongwe and Mzuzu. Car hire: This is becoming increasingly available, with a number of companies offering a wide choice of vehicles. Standards do vary (even with the internationally franchised chains) so it is worth seeking a recommendation. Nonetheless, cars should be reserved well in advance as they are very much in demand. Chauffeur-driven cars are also available.

Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required.

URBAN: Bus: There are services in all major cities. Taxi: These are in short supply and cannot be hailed on the street. Taxi drivers expect a tip.

Travel times: The following chart gives approximate average travel times (in hours and minutes) from Lilongwe to other major cities/towns in Malawi.

Air Road Blantyre 0.40 4.30 Mzuzu 1.00 5.00 Zomba - 4.00 Karonga 1.30 6.30 Salima - 1.00 Mangochi 1.00 4.30

Accommodation

HOTELS: There is a range of hotels in the main towns: Lilongwe, Blantyre/Limbe and Mzuzu. The same is true along the lakeshore with a concentration in the south between Monkey Bay and Mangochi. Zomba Plateau has a luxury hotel. For further information see the Resorts & Excursions section.

REST HOUSES: A programme of privatisation has seen many of the rest houses and forest reserve lodges transformed into luxury or mid-range lodges, the equivalent of established hotels.

LAKESIDE LODGES: There is a scattering of small luxury and mid-market lodges along the western shore of Lake Malawi and on Likoma Island. Most offer the same facilities as the larger hotels with watersports and excellent private beaches. Some accommodation is on islands and lake safaris are catered for.

SAFARI CAMPS/LODGES: Recent years have seen a transformation in four of the parks and reserves: Liwonde, Kasungu, Nyika and Vwasa. Single privately run safari camps/lodges have replaced government camps in all of these parks. New luxury en-suite accommodation is provided in permanent tents, rondavels, log cabins or bamboo huts. There is also good-quality, mid-price accommodation and camping. Full catering is available. Booking ahead is important especially at weekends and in holiday periods. See also National Parks in the Resorts & Excursions section.

CAMPING: There are campsites along the lakeshore, often near the hotels, and elsewhere in the resort and forest areas. Most game parks and reserves have campsites. Sites are usually well equipped and camping is excellent during the dry season which runs from April to November.

Sport & Activities

Wildlife: Malawi is becoming well known for the number of activities it can offer visitors. Game viewing in the national parks is especially attractive to those wanting to experience trekking and viewing in entirely natural surroundings without tarred roads filled with convoys of 4-wheel-drive vehicles. Birdwatching is excellent throughout the country, which is something of a birdwatcher’s paradise at any time in the year.

Watersports: Lake Malawi offers a range of watersports along its whole length. Snorkelling and scuba-diving are increasingly popular in Lake Malawi because of the attraction of seeing the brilliantly coloured fish, the mbuna. Instruction in these sports for beginners as well as for experienced practitioners is possible at many resorts. Swimming, water-skiing, sailing and canoeing are all available along the lakeshore. The Lake Malawi 500km Sailing Marathon, which is the world’s longest freshwater sailing race, is held each year in July and attracts an international entry field. The risk of contracting bilharzia when engaging in watersports in Lake Malawi is minimised if sensible precautions are taken: bathers should swim only at the resort areas known to be free of bilharzia, avoiding parts of the lake where there is still water or close human habitation. Many areas of the lake are bilharzia-free. Fishing is especially attractive on the southern lakeshore north of Mangochi and at Senga Bay. Tournaments take place each year and catches include the delicious Sungwa. There are also opportunities to fish for yellow fish, lake salmon and lake tiger. Elsewhere, angling for trout is easily arranged at Chelinda on Nyika Plateau and on Zomba Plateau. There is also good fishing in the salmon-rich rivers of Nkhotakota Game Reserve.

Trekking and hiking: The Nyika Plateau is popular for trekking and walking. Guides and porters are available for 1- to 6-day wilderness hikes. The same arrangements apply on Mount Mulanje where huts are available for hire. There is excellent walking on the Zomba and Viphya Plateaux. There is plenty of scope for climbing. Rising to a height of 3000m (9850ft), Mount Mulanje is the highest mountain in central Africa and has proved to be an irresistible lure to climbers. The massif has the longest sheer rock face in Africa. Dedza, south of Lilongwe, and Michiru, Ndirande and Chiradzulu, near Blantyre, also offer challenging slopes.

Other: Horse riding is a speciality on Nyika Plateau, where safaris on horseback are popular, and on Zomba Plateau, where there is a dressage school. Cycling has more recently been added to Malawi’s list of activities for tourists and has also attracted the interest of charity organisations. Popular areas include Nyika, Luwawa Forest and along the lakeshore. Tennis, golf and squash are available at some hotels and at sports clubs in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu. A pro-am golf tournament also takes place at Club Makokola on the southern shores of Lake Malawi every June.

Social Profile

Food & Drink: Fresh fish from Lake Malawi is the country’s speciality, chambo (Tilapia fish) being the main lake delicacy. There are trout from streams on the Zomba, Mulanje and Nyika plateaux. Hotel restaurants and many of those in the cities are of a good standard. They offer a wide choice of dishes including European, Korean and Chinese as well as authentic Malawi dishes and haute cuisine. Poultry and dairy produce are plentiful and tropical fruits are abundant in season. The local beer is very good and imported beer and soft drinks are widely available. Malawi gin, which is well known and inexpensive, and tonic have reached almost cult status. Wine is imported largely from South Africa.

Nightlife: There is little nightlife in the European or US sense. Some restaurants have entertainment as do some of the hotels but outside Blantyre and Lilongwe this will usually take the form of a display of dancing during or after dinner at the lakeshore hotels.

Shopping: Malawi produces a variety of colourful arts and crafts. Items are invariably handmade and there is no factory production of curios. Purchases include woodcarvings, wood and cane furniture, soapstone carvings, decorated wooden articles, colourful textiles, pottery, beadwork, cane and raffia items. The standard of woodcarving is one of the highest in Africa. The Mua Mission, south of Salima, where carvers are trained, has an excellent shop. Traditional musical instruments are also sold throughout Malawi. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1700. Markets and roadside stalls function every day.

Special Events: Dance plays a part in most ceremonies in Malawi, an important dance being the Gule Wamkulu (performed by the Chewa and Mang’anja), with its heavily carved masks, feathers and skin paint. For further information on events in Malawi, contact the Malawi Tourism Information Service (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of special events celebrated annually in Malawi:

May 1-Jul 31 Hiking on Mount Mulanje. Jul Yachting Marathon, Lake Malawi; Malawi Republic Day celebrations.

Social Conventions: Despite the large number of tribal backgrounds in the Malawi population, integration is well established and the visitor need not be aware of any social differences. The white population is very small in number. There are some religious differences, most noticeable among the Muslim population and especially as far as alcohol consumption is concerned. Malawians place emphasis on the importance of shaking hands on meeting and departing. The special handshake, which includes grasping the thumb and putting the other hand on the forearm, is best avoided unless practised. Children and some women may curtsey as a greeting or if being made a presentation. Offering a soft drink to a visitor is common at meetings. Malawians tend to be conventional rather than casual in their dress, especially in formal gatherings. The strict dress code of Dr Banda’s days are gone but modest dress should be worn unless at the beach or playing sport. Tipping: Generally not expected, but some employees who are very poorly paid might appreciate a small tip for good service.

Business Profile

Economy: The economy is almost entirely agricultural, with both subsistence and cash crops including tobacco, sugar, tea and maize being farmed. The manufacturing industry now accounts for about 15 per cent of economic output, and is concentrated in light industrial import substitution projects such as textiles, chemicals, agricultural implements and processed foodstuffs. Tourism is intended to become a major source of foreign exchange but this will depend on improvements in basic infrastructure and political stability in the region. The overall economy is weak with inflation around 30 per cent and negative growth of 1.5 per cent in 2001. Recent economic policy has followed an orthodox course of privatisation , deregulation and government spending cuts. The latter have had a severe impact on the country’s already limited basic services, especially healthcare which Malawi can ill afford as the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to devastate the population. Between one-third and one-half of the working population are thought to be infected, with the inevitable economic consequences. Malawi is normally self-sufficient in food, especially maize, the main staple. But it also has a vast balance of payments deficit and is heavily dependent on foreign aid, both bilateral and from the World Bank. In 2000 in a development which had repercussions across Africa, Malawi was pressurised by international financial institutions due to the surplus from its bumper maize crop to meet debt repayments. Two years later, there was a disastrous harvest, but no reserves to meet the shortfall and Malawi was forced to call upon emergency food aid. Malawi is a member of the Southern African Development Community and, in 1993, signed the treaty establishing a Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The UK is Malawi’s most important single trading partner, taking one-third of the country’s exports and providing 15 per cent of Malawi’s imports. South Africa, Japan, Germany and The Netherlands are Malawi’s other important trading partners.

Business: Suits or a jacket and tie are suitable for business meetings in cities. Similar to the European system, appointments should generally be made and business cards are used. Offices tend to open early in Malawi. Best months for business visits are May to July and September to November. Office hours: Mon-Fri 0730-1700.

Commercial Information: The following organisation can offer advice: Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, PO Box 258, Chichiri Trade Fair Grounds, Blantyre (tel: 167 1988; fax: 167 1147; e-mail: mcci@eomw.net; website: www.mccci.org).

Conferences/Conventions: Malawi’s only dedicated conference centre is the Kwacha International Conference Centre in Blantyre, with seating for up to 500 persons. Details of this and hotels with conference facilities can be obtained from the Malawi Tourist Office (see Contact Addresses section).

Climate

Climate: Varies from cool in the highlands to warm around Lake Malawi. Winter (May to July) is dry and nights can be chilly, particularly in the highlands. The rainy season runs from November to March. Around Lake Malawi, in winter, the climate is particularly dry with pleasant cooling breezes.

Required clothing: Lightweights are worn all year in the Lake Malawi area, with warmer clothes advised in the mountains, particularly during winter and on chilly evenings elsewhere. Visitors to Nyika and Zomba should note that the nights can be cold. Dark or ‘natural’ coloured clothing should be worn for game viewing.