Mulibwanji…So ZBIN has a lot of members who are based in the Warm Heart of Africa-Malawi. We have an inquiry from one of the ZBIN members based in Lilongwe, she would like to invest in a business but is not sure of what to invest in.
ZBIN Response
Its important to look at the following factors. Malawi is enjoying stability and a steady Economic growth, there is a rising middle class, tourist arrivals show an increase and lastly Donors are back slowly pouring in a lot of Donor Funding.
Middle Class Analysis
You can look at the Middle Class in Malawi and find out what they are spending their monies on. Building houses, education for children, importation and servicing of vehicles (Malawi has a lot of Ex Jap cars like Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe). Analyse patterns of what is happening with this class of people, change in tastes, new trends and find out how and where to invest in.
Tourist Services
Statistics show that the number of tourists coming to Malawi is increasing. Tourists will need accommodation (currently expensive), they need transportation and a lot of services. Look closely at this sector and find possible gaps to invest in.
NGO Needs
Hundreds of US Dollar Millions are being invested in Malawi on a yearly basis. Some of the monies are channelled through the Government and some through independent Non-Governmental Organisations. Most of the funds brought into the country are being spend on the Health, Agriculture, Energy and other Social sectors. Do take a closer look at who is supplying these donors with supplies. If it is health related then they may need various kits, training materials etc. Who is providing these NGOs with accommodation, transport and other services? One good source of information is newspapers-look at all tenders advertised in newspapers and analyse them. It’s a big sector in Malawi and should provide you with a lot of opportunities. We encourage you to create a list of the major donors in Malawi, find out their plans for the next couple of years and the amount of money they will be invetsting. This information will help you in planning on the NGO sectors to invest in.
We wish you the best
