Money in Malawi

Changing money in the cities

US dollars are the foreign currency changed most easily in Malawi, and euros are changed as well. Banks and licensed foreign exchange bureaux in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu change cash into kwacha, and the notes are counted at the counter before leaving it. Outside the cities there are few places to change money, so the kwacha for the lake, the parks and the mountain is changed before setting out.

Cash machines in the cities and larger towns

Cash machines stand at the banks of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba and the larger district towns, and not every one of them takes a foreign card. A machine can be empty of notes or offline, and a second machine nearby, or a second card, is the fallback. In the villages of the southern lakeshore such as Cape Maclear, in the national parks and on Mount Mulanje there are few machines or none, so cash for those days is drawn in town before leaving.

Cards at larger hotels, lodges and supermarkets

Foreign cards are taken at the larger hotels and lodges and at the supermarkets of the cities, and little elsewhere. Markets, roadside stalls, minibuses, small restaurants and most guesthouses take kwacha in cash. A card is a convenience at the places that take it, not the way to pay for a journey around the country.

Kwacha in cash beyond the towns

Away from the cities, the day-to-day spending of a trip is in kwacha banknotes: market stalls, village shops, roadside food, minibuses and small guesthouses. Smaller notes go further there, because a stall or a minibus often has no change for a large one. Fuel stations take cash more often than cards, and fuel can be short, which is a reason to keep cash in hand when driving in Malawi. A few days' kwacha makes a thick bundle of notes, and the spare cash stays in the hotel or lodge safe, one of the safety precautions in Malawi.