Malawi’s fuel shortage shows no sign of easing. Despite government assurances that supplies are secure, most filling stations are dry and the few that have fuel attract long queues. Residents and businesses across the country are struggling to travel, transport goods and keep operations running.
“At times, we have to trek in order to reach to our destinations. We have stopped some of our businesses because we feel like it’s becoming expensive,” said businessperson Anthony Jamali in Lilongwe. Isaac Banda added: “Everything has risen in price… It’s become very difficult to travel from one place to another now because of the fuel crisis.”
The shortages affect both urban centers and remote communities. Farmers need diesel for tractors and pumps, and rural health clinics rely on fuel for generators, procedures and patient transport. Health rights activist Maziko Matemba warned the scarcity “could have a negative impact on our provision of health care. When we have this scarcity, it means some ambulances might not run as expected.” He urged the state to prioritize ambulance services, noting hospitals operate on very limited budgets.
Malawi, a landlocked country long accustomed to high fuel costs, recorded one of the world’s highest petrol prices this week at about $3.83 (€3.28) per liter, compared with roughly $1.50 in neighbouring Zambia. The combination of high prices and physical shortages risks further strain on households and businesses and raises political stakes: Michael Kaiyatsa, chairperson of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, recalled that similarly severe fuel shortages in 2011 sparked nationwide demonstrations.
Analysts and international observers link the crisis to Malawi’s narrow export base and foreign exchange shortages. Heavy reliance on tobacco exports has been weakened by falling prices and global health measures. The World Bank and others say Malawi must diversify earnings—through tourism, formal mining and other sectors—to generate the hard currency needed to buy fuel on international markets. Critics contend that tourism and mining have received insufficient budget and policy support, while politically popular agricultural programs have often been prioritised instead.
Public debt has risen sharply. A Reuters report in early 2026 put public debt at about 23.9 trillion kwacha (roughly $13.9 billion), with around 65% owed to domestic lenders. With limited access to foreign exchange, the government announced a plan to sell about $30 million of gold reserves to fund fuel purchases, a move that critics describe as unsustainable. Analysts urge the development of formal mining and tourism to bring stable foreign currency into the economy; Malawi has known deposits of gold and certain critical minerals.
On top of domestic pressures, global oil market uncertainty has pushed import costs higher. Instability linked to the Iran conflict and threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have reduced prospects for quick, cheaper deliveries, leaving import-dependent countries like Malawi exposed to higher prices.
For businesspeople such as Jamali, the impact is immediate: commercial activity weakens as more resources are diverted to secure fuel or as travel and transport become prohibitively costly. Unless Malawi can broaden its export base, rebuild foreign-exchange resilience and address fiscal pressures, the country remains vulnerable to recurrent fuel crises that disrupt services, health care and the economy.
Edited by: Benita van Eyssen