A few days ago, I went to a friend’s birthday dinner, and when the waiter asked me for what I wanted to drink, I opted for a tea. My (MBA) peers were fascinated, and immediately suggested that I see the tea aisle in Horrocks Farm Market , before the night ended.
At around 9PM, we found ourselves in Horrocks. I wasn’t expecting to leave with much—maybe some fruit, a snack or two. But as I walked through the aisles, something struck me. Almost everything—from the apples and dairy products to the baked goods and even the packaged snacks—was sourced from Michigan.
The produce that powers Lansing comes from the farms that surround it. The dairy is from local farmers. Even the beer selection is full of Michigan-made craft brews. It was a simple but profound realization: Michigan feeds Michigan. And when I traveled to other states, I noticed the same pattern—each state in the U.S. is self-sufficient, producing much of what its residents consume.
That got me thinking about Malawi.
Back home, when you walk into a grocery store or a market, 70% to 90% of the products on the shelves are imported. Instead of Malawian dairy, we buy powdered milk from South Africa. Instead of locally processed grains, we import rice from Asia. Instead of Malawian juices and wines, we drink brands from Tanzania or South Africa.
And yet, Malawi is an agricultural country. We grow food, we have fertile land, and we have industries that could support self-sufficiency. So why do we depend so heavily on imports?
The answer lies in how our economy is structured—and how our choices keep it from growing.
#BuyMalawi: We Got it Very Wrong
For years, the #BuyMalawi initiative has been positioned as a patriotic act—something we do to “support Malawian businesses.” But the problem is, we never really explained why supporting Malawian businesses is essential—not just for those businesses, but for our economy, our jobs, and our financial future.
The result? A failing strategy. Walk into any grocery store in Malawi, and you’ll see that 70% to 90% of the products on the shelves are imported. Meanwhile, local businesses struggle to compete, and the economy remains in a fragile, dependent state.
So how did we get here? And more importantly—how do we fix it?
Understanding the Trade Deficit: The Silent Killer of Our Economy
Malawi imports FAR more than it exports, leading to a trade deficit that drains our economy in multiple ways.
- Every imported product we buy sends money out of the country instead of circulating within.
- A persistent trade deficit means the kwacha continues to weaken, making imports even more expensive.
- Businesses struggle to afford raw materials, fuel, and machinery, increasing production costs.
- Inflation rises, making basic goods less affordable for everyday Malawians.
When an economy imports more than it produces, it loses control over its own financial future. Malawi is caught in this trap, and the only way out is by shifting consumer demand towards locally made products.
Why Are Malawian Products More Expensive?
One of the biggest criticisms of Buy Malawi is that local products are more expensive than imported goods. But this isn’t because local businesses are greedy (yes there are a select few outliers but…)—it’s because of structural economic challenges:
- Raw materials: Many Malawian businesses still rely on imported inputs, which are costly due to the weak kwacha.
- Economies of scale: Local producers operate on a much smaller scale than international brands, making it harder to drive prices down.
- Cost of doing business: High interest rates, expensive transportation, unreliable energy—these all increase the cost of local production.
- Consumer perception: Imported goods are often associated with higher quality, creating a bias that hurts demand for local products.
As a result, Malawian businesses are caught in a vicious cycle—low demand keeps them small, which keeps their costs high, which keeps their prices high, which further discourages consumers.
We Don’t Produce, So We Don’t Sell to Each Other
At the heart of the issue is Malawi’s weak production base. Because we don’t manufacture enough goods, we don’t create enough value to sell to each other. Instead, we:
- Import what we consume.
- Export raw materials (often unprocessed) at low prices.
- Struggle to build strong, competitive local brands.
This is a fundamental problem. An economy cannot thrive if its consumption relies entirely on external suppliers.
When Malawians buy foreign products, we’re essentially creating jobs in other countries instead of building wealth within Malawi. The cycle continues as local businesses fail, and our economic dependency deepens.
Rethinking ‘Buy Malawi’—It’s Not Charity, It’s Survival
The Buy Malawi movement should never have been framed as an act of kindness for local businesses. It’s not about charity—it’s about economic survival.
Here’s what happens when we prioritize local products:
✅ Money stays in Malawi, circulating within our economy.
✅ Demand for local products increases, allowing businesses to scale and reduce costs.
✅ Jobs are created, reducing unemployment and strengthening the middle class.
✅ The kwacha stabilizes, making imports less necessary and easing inflation.
✅ Local industries grow, creating the foundation for long-term economic independence.
If we truly want to transform our economy, we must start with a shift in mindset. Every buying decision we make contributes to either building or weakening Malawi’s financial future.
Less Politics, More Economics
Yes, we have systemic challenges—policy issues, infrastructure gaps, access to financing. But while we work on long-term solutions, we must stop making this about personal politics.
The global economy does not care about our debates—it runs on production and trade. And right now, we are on the losing side.
Instead of just saying “Buy Malawi,” we should focus on:
📌 Creating consumer trust: Local businesses must improve quality and branding to compete with imports.
📌 Policy support: Government incentives for local production, lower tariffs on raw materials, and better access to financing.
📌 Educating consumers: People need to understand how their buying choices impact their own economic future.
📌 Building strong local supply chains: We need Malawian-made raw materials for Malawian-made products.
This is not an overnight fix. But no economy has ever grown by relying on imports alone. Malawi must become a producing, self-sustaining economy—and that starts with us.
We cannot consume our way to prosperity with foreign products. If we want real economic transformation, we must:
🔹 Buy in Malawi.
🔹 Sell in Malawi.
🔹 Grow in Malawi.
This is the only way we move from dependency to dominance. The Buy Malawi movement must evolve beyond a slogan—it must become a national strategy for economic resilience.
The question is: Will we keep making other countries rich, or will we start investing in ourselves?
With an undying love for Malawi,
Ntha
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