Fuel crisis threatens to bring Malawi to a standstill

Fuel shortages are increasingly disrupting daily life and business activity in Malawi, as global oil prices rise amid ongoing instability in the Middle East.

In the capital Lilongwe, long queues of trucks and private vehicles have formed outside filling stations, with drivers often waiting for hours — sometimes days — to access diesel.

Transport companies say the scarcity is already affecting their operations, slowing the movement of goods and threatening supply chains across the country.

The Transport Association of Malawi says the crisis is linked in part to global market pressures and disruptions in key shipping routes in the Middle East, which have driven fuel prices sharply higher.

With trucks unable to operate at full capacity, businesses warn of wider knock-on effects, including shortages in shops and delays in agricultural distribution during a critical season.

For drivers like Prince Mapemba, the impact is immediate:

"For the past three days I have been moving from one queue to another in search of fuel. Sometimes after staying in the queue the whole day, the fuel comes only to be told around 3am that the fuel has run out. That is why, for three days, I have not made even a single trip."

Agriculture accounts for more than a third of Malawi's economy and the vast majority of its foreign exports. The fuel shortage is hitting farmers hard.

Without reliable and affordable transportation, they can't get the fertiliser they need for their crops and can't get their crops to market.

If the situation continues, businesses warn the pressure on prices and supply could worsen further in the coming weeks.

With growing public debt and limited foreign reserves, the government's options are limited. It's now said it will sell off some $30 million in precious gold reserves to keep the petrol flowing.