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Insights Centre
Sectors · Retail across SADC

Retail in Malawi

Who sells where, which chains are expanding, what each catchment holds and where shoppers are underserved.

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Value added by trade, restaurants and hotels, 2024US$1.4bn12.3% of the economy · 12th largest of 16 in SADC
Real growth-0.5%a year over the last five years, at constant prices
Exports of the pillar's goods, 2024US$24m-77% on five years earlier · 15th in SADC
Deals in the last 12 months01 tracked in Malawi in all

Trade, restaurants and hotels added US$1.4bn to Malawi's economy in 2024

Value added by trade, restaurants and hotels, the industries in the national accounts closest to retail, US$, at the prices of each year and at constant 2020 prices (which show real growth)

0$500m$1bn$2bn199019921994199619982000200220042006200820102012201420162018202020222024Prices of each yearUS$1.4bnConstant 2020 pricesUS$1.5bn
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Malawi has SADC's 12th largest trade, restaurants and hotels sector

Value added by trade, restaurants and hotels, US$, latest year, with its share of each economy

South AfricaUS$49.9bn13.8% of the economy
AngolaUS$23.5bn20.5% of the economy
DRCUS$11.7bn16.7% of the economy
TanzaniaUS$8.3bn10.9% of the economy
ZimbabweUS$6.6bn15.2% of the economy
ZambiaUS$4.9bn20.4% of the economy
BotswanaUS$2.9bn15.9% of the economy
MauritiusUS$2.4bn18.5% of the economy
MozambiqueUS$2.0bn10.0% of the economy
MadagascarUS$1.9bn11.7% of the economy
NamibiaUS$1.7bn14.3% of the economy
MalawiUS$1.4bn12.3% of the economy
EswatiniUS$793m17.2% of the economy
SeychellesUS$341m18.7% of the economy
ComorosUS$317m20.9% of the economy
LesothoUS$198m9.6% of the economy
Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Population: Malawi against SADC

Population, people, latest year for each country. Click a bar for that country's retail page.

020m40m60m80m100m120mDRC112.8mTanzania70.5mSouth Africa64.7mAngola39.0mMozambique35.6mMadagascar32.7mMalawi22.2mZambia21.9mZimbabwe17.0mNamibia3.1mBotswana2.6mLesotho2.4mEswatini1.3mMauritius1.2mComoros883kSeychelles123kmedian 19.4m

Source: World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Malawi's trade in retail goods since 2012

Exports and imports of the products in this pillar's subsectors, each product counted once, US$

0$200m$400m$600m$800m$1bn$1bn2012201420162018202020222024ExportsUS$24mImportsUS$1.1bn
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Subsectors

10 in this pillar

Grocery and household goods in Malawi

Tracks
Supermarket and small-shop chains and their outlets, chains new to each country, packaged food and household goods imported and exported by value and weight, and growth in household spending.
Signals ahead
Growing suburbs with no supermarket within 15 minutes, mall announcements, chains' expansion guidance.

Select a figure for its trend. Source: CEPII BACI, All The Places, dotzedw deals tracker.

Trade in detail

Malawi exported US$17m and imported US$284m of grocery and household goods in 2024; exports down 76% on five years earlier, 0.2% of what SADC sells abroad.

Malawi's main exports in this subsector, 2024

Sugar (170114)US$13m
Sugar (170199)US$1.2m
Ethanol (220710)US$905k
Food preparations (210690)US$707k
Soft drinks (220210)US$512k

Malawi's trade in grocery and household goods every year since 2012, by partner is part of the Individual plan

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Open these deals in the deals tracker

What Malawi sells abroad across retail

Malawi's exports by subsector, 2024, US$, with its share of SADC's exports. A product can count in two subsectors.

Grocery and household goodsUS$17m0.2% of SADC · -76% on five years earlier
Clothing, furniture and general merchandiseUS$6.2m0.2% of SADC · -81% on five years earlier
Pharmacy retailUS$39k0% of SADC · +70% on five years earlier
Fuel forecourts and convenienceUS$3810% of SADC · -95% on five years earlier
Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who is moving

Open in the deals tracker

0 deals in the last 12 months involving Malawi, placed in subsectors by what they say.

Sources and method