A BMZ cash-for-work programme aimed at improving the tourism infrastructure in Malawi's most important tourist destinations has resulted in the creation of a new leisure infrastructure on the Zomba Plateau, among other things.

    Cooperation in action Malawi: More employment and income in rural areas

    Located in the south-east region of Africa between Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, Malawi is one of the most peaceful countries in this part of the world. Tourists love it for its surprising variety within a relatively small area: bathing elephants in Liwonde National Park, lusciously green tea plantations around Thyolo and attractive sandy beaches at Lake Malawi. Hikers can enjoy the impressive views from the Mulanje and Nyika Plateaus. Nature fans delight in the many cichlids in Lake Malawi.

    Germany's development cooperation with Malawi focuses, among other things, on climate-resilient private sector development, health, and education. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) supports the development of tourism value chains in Malawi. The related project is called “More Income and Employment in Rural Areas” (MIERA).


    Developing a sustainable tourism sector

    MIERA supports innovative enterprises with a view to creating more employment in rural areas. The project is working with the Malawi Department of Tourism to develop a sustainable, resilient, inclusive tourism sector. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), there were 516,000 tourism-related jobs in Malawi in 2019, which is nearly seven per cent of total national employment.

    The programme provides support to local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and industry federations, fosters public-private dialogue, and assists partners in finding ways of better marketing Malawi as a destination. Recently, 14 MSMEs were given support so they could participate in international tourism fairs. They were able to build important contacts with European tour operators and to advertise Malawi as a tourist destination.

    Improving the infrastructure for tourism

    A BMZ cash-for-work programme with the aim of improving the tourism infrastructure in Malawi's most important tourist destinations has resulted, among other things, in a new hiking trail along the northern shore of Lake Malawi with four campsites.

    A BMZ cash-for-work programme with the aim of improving the tourism infrastructure in Malawi's most important tourist destinations has resulted, among other things, in a new hiking trail along the northern shore of Lake Malawi with four campsites.

    In 2020, revenue from international tourist arrivals declined by 80 per cent in Malawi due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A BMZ-funded cash-for-work programme made it possible to provide short-term employment for 1,800 people. The programme focused on improving the infrastructure for tourism at Malawi's main tourist destinations. Among other things, it involved the repair of 300 kilometres of hiking trails, the construction of six new bridges – four of them in a biosphere reserve –, the removal of 40 tonnes of waste from a major river in Blantyre, and the establishment of nine new campgrounds.

    The programme will continue until 2025.

    As at: 18/07/2024