LILONGWE, Malawi — A worsening fuel shortage is disrupting transport, business operations and agricultural supply chains across Malawi, with long queues of trucks and private vehicles stretching outside filling stations in the capital, Lilongwe.
Drivers say they are spending hours, and in some cases days, waiting for diesel, only to leave empty-handed when supplies run out. The shortage has become a daily burden for motorists and a growing threat to companies that depend on road transport to move goods across the country.
“For the past three days I have been moving from one queue to another in search of fuel,” said Prince Mapemba, a driver in Lilongwe. “Sometimes after staying in the queue the whole day, the fuel comes only to be told around 3 a.m. that the fuel has run out. That is why, for three days, I have not made even a single trip.”
Transport operators say the crisis is already slowing deliveries, raising costs and threatening wider supply disruptions. The Transport Association of Malawi has linked the scarcity partly to global market pressures and instability in the Middle East, which have pushed up fuel prices and disrupted key shipping routes.
The pressure is particularly serious for Malawi’s agriculture sector, a major pillar of the economy and the country’s main source of export earnings. Farmers rely heavily on diesel-powered transport to move fertiliser, seeds and harvested crops. Without reliable fuel, agricultural distribution could face delays at a time when many farmers and traders are preparing for critical seasonal activity.
Businesses warn that if the shortage continues, shops could face reduced supplies while consumers may see further price increases. Malawi has struggled for years with foreign exchange shortages, which have made it difficult for importers to pay for fuel and other essential goods. The country is landlocked and depends on imports transported from regional ports, making supply delays especially damaging.
The government has moved to ease the pressure by selling part of its gold reserves to raise foreign currency for fuel purchases. Information Minister Shadric Namalomba said authorities used proceeds from gold held by the Reserve Bank of Malawi to pay about $30 million to suppliers and release fuel shipments from ports. Malawi is also seeking a $120 million facility from Afreximbank to support fuel imports.
The Reserve Bank of Malawi has separately said it expects to raise about $78 million from selling 590 kilogrammes of gold, with part of the proceeds intended to strengthen the country’s low foreign exchange position.
For now, however, queues remain a visible sign of the crisis. With public debt high, foreign reserves limited and global fuel markets under pressure, businesses say the coming weeks could be difficult unless supply improves quickly.
