Madar (Lilongwe) - Chronic fuel shortages in Malawi are forcing drivers to queue for hours at filling stations in the capital, Lilongwe, with petrol now costing $3.24 a litre, the highest price in Africa, according to a report published by Africanews on Friday, October 30, 2026, citing AFP.
That is the second-highest price globally and more than twice the global average, according to GlobalPetrolPrices. With uncertain supplies and tight rationing, many motorists have turned to the black market, where petrol can cost as much as 20,000 kwacha ($11.50) a litre.
The government, elected last year on a pledge to revive the economy, blames the crisis on a shortage of the foreign currency needed to pay for imports. Officials say international supply disruptions linked to the Iran war have compounded the problem, with banks struggling to honour letters of credit and some suppliers demanding upfront payment.
Malawi consumes about two million litres of fuel a day, requiring $49 million a month in foreign currency, according to the National Oil Company of Malawi. That amounts to about $588 million a year, more than the $545 million the country earned from tobacco, its largest export, in 2025, according to the IMF.
The government has sought emergency financing, including through the sale of gold reserves. Energy Minister Jean Mathanga said on Monday that more than 23 million litres of petrol and diesel had been procured, with nearly half in transit.
Some stations ration sales to two litres at a time for motorcycle taxis and up to 20 litres for small cars. Economist Milward Tobias warned that the shortage threatens food security by disrupting fertiliser deliveries, in a country where the World Bank estimates 76 percent of people lived below the international poverty line of $3 a day in 2025.
