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This section provides business contacts categorised in accordance with the type of business in separate databases. To find out specific buiness and business support contacts, click on the relevant link of your interest from the left navigation menu. The Exporters Directory, Freight and Logistic Operators, and the Producers and Suppliers Directory provide contacts of Malawian businesses. Importers Directory offers access to business contacts of foreign importers. The Suppport Institutions Directory on the other hand provide contacts of both Malawian and foreign institutions.

 

Exporters Directory
This is the first edition of the Malawi Exporters’ Directory published by the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC). Although not exhaustive the directory provides detailed and up to date information on all Malawian exporting companies, products and producers. This new Exporters’ Directory contains contact details for exporting companies in a wide range of sectors, both traditional and emerging.
 
The main objective is to help potential business partners outside Malawi to identify suppliers that can provide the products they are looking for. But also it can be used by Malawian based companies to identify new local suppliers or partners with whom they may collaborate. Either way, we hope that this guide will help develop new and profitable business relations both for the companies listed and those who take the time to consult the guide.
 

For more information, download the directory below.

Export procedures

It is a requirement that every exporter wanting to export products or services, be it within the African region or international markets is supposed to adhere to export procedures that have been lined up on this page. This export process is the same in almost all countries with slight variation. These processes will help you in getting basic idea on how to export various products and which documentation is required when exporting products. The procedures when followed, will ease the cost of exporting products from one region to the other.

 

Import procedures

In any business, processes and procedures plays a very important role. In import business, the availability, correctness and timely filling up of forms will both save time and create more business opportunitiesto the importer. In this menu, you will find some brief description of each form that an importer is required to process or follow and forms that an importer is supposed to attach to his consignment.

Ease of Doing Business

Every year the World Bank produces a yearly report on how each country is fairing in different areas of businesses. Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1–190. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. The rankings are determined by sorting the aggregate distance to frontier scores on 10 topics, each consisting of several indicators, giving equal weight to each topic be it. This kind of rating also applies to Malawi as a country. On this page you will find the report which was produced by the World Bank and how Malawi is fairing in different areas of business.

Business Registration

Individuals or companies wanting to operate a business in Malawi are supposed to register their businesses at the Registrar’s General Office in Blantyre or Lilongwe. Forms are supposed to be collected and filled and within five working days, the certificate is ready. On this page you will find processes that needs to be followed when registering a business in Malawi.

  • An Exporter will fill up a form which will be obtained at Malawi Investment and Trade Center
  • A filled form will  be submitted with a copy of a business registration certificate
  • An equivalent of $150 dollars as a processing fee will be paid which is non- refundable

A certificate will be ready within a minimum of 5 working days.  (An exporter should take note that the certificate runs for a period of one year of which after expiring, an exporter is supposed to re- new so that he can continue enjoying the benefits.)

  • Availability of Foreign Exchange in the country
  • Micro and macro-economic growth – Business growth
  • Social and economic development of the country  - creation of employment
  • Strengthening of local competition - Companies becoming competitive on the local market before exporting
  • Gaining shares on the world market
  • Reduction in unit cost because of increased production to meet foreign demand
  • Offsetting the seasonal demand – being able to sale when a product is off-season on the domestic market
  • Sale of excess capacity
  • Acquisition of new knowledge and experience
  • Expansion of product life cycles
  • Spreading of risk because of being able to sale in multiple markets

  • 22 percent tax allowance on export proceeds excluding   unmanufactured   tobacco, tea, coffee and cane sugar.
  • Transport tax allowance of 25 percent of international transport costs quoted CIF.
  • Duty drawback on imported raw materials including packaging materials made locally for manufacturers in bond.
  • No duties and Value Added Taxes on imports of capital equipment used mainly in the manufacturing of exports.
  • No excise taxes and Value Added Taxes on purchases of raw materials and packaging materials made in the country for manufacturing in bond.

  • No withholding tax on dividends.
  • No duty or capital requirement on capital equipment and raw materials.
  • No excise taxes on purchases of raw materials and packaging materials made in Malawi.
  • No VAT on inputs and export produce/manufacture

Yes we have contacts for International markets. Click the link below for more.

  • Financing for exports
  • Red-tape
  • Language
  • Scarcity of foreign exchange
  • Un-competitive pricing
  • Non-Tariff barriers (NTBs)
  • Poor Quality and poor packaging
  • High transportation costs
  • High production costs
  • Low production capacities
  • Lack of Market Information
  • Issues of product modification to meet security, safety and other import restriction measures.

Malawi produces a wide range of Traditional export products such as tobacco, tea,sugar and cotton as traditional exports. Malawi also exports non-traditional products in the categories of agricultural, manufactured products, mining, services and many more. The main markets for Malawian Products are within the SADC and   COMESA region, European Union (EU), America through the AGOA and Asia.

  • USA (Coffee, Sugar, Tobacco, etc.)
  • EU Countries (Tea, Sugar, Chilies, Processed products, Tobacco, Handcrafts, etc.)
  • INDIA (Pulses, etc.)
  • CHINA (Pulses, sesame seeds, etc.)
  • SADC Countries and products to export (Tea, Sugar/nuts, processed products, Pharmaceuticals, Handcrafts, etc.)
  • SADC countries are:  South Africa, Botswana
  • COMESA Countries (Tea, Sugar, G/nuts, processed products,    Pharmaceuticals, Handcrafts, etc.)
  • COMESA countries are: Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi