Malawi is a black market, gasoline shortage, inflation and the economy are in disarray and the sign of Zimbabwe

Hello. Bicycle around the worldTakuya SAITO @ Chalidermanis. Go along the shore of Lake Malawi and enter the capital city Lilongwe (Lilongwe). I noticed the existence of black market for the first time here. The value of the Malawi currency is lower than the official rate. In addition to this, the economy of Malawi seemed to be confused, such as constant gasoline shortage that can be queued at gas stations, and inflation that prices continue to rise. I feel like Zimbabwe is likely to have collapsed economy already ... ....

Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi, is here.

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While stopping at Lake Malawi, we aim for the capital city Lilongwe.


Gentle Malawi lake.


Many wooden canoes.


River flowing into Lake Malawi.


I was eating fish that can be taken at such Malawi lake.


In this way fish sold on the street,


I will handle it as it is. It is freshly fried.


Dine at the cafeteria ... ....


Take a break at a store ......


Sometimes we go while sheltering rain with goat.


Then we reached the capital city Lilongwe (Lilongwei). Lake Malawi is near 500 meters in altitude but Lilongwe is over 1000 m in altitude so it is not hot and it is easy to spend so far. However, almost every day, I came across a heavy rain falling rain. Because I was in the tent ... ....

Put a tent on the inn.


When I went out to the town, the tent was growing. I do not feel calm.


A large bus tourist arrives at Lilongwe's inn. It is said that tours from the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi (Nairobi), centering on European youth, to the capital of South Africa (Cape Town). Rear firing is an explosion.

I have learned about the existence of black market in this Lilongwe. The black market occurs when the exchange rate of the fixed exchange rate is lower than the real currency value. "It is not worth it for fixed currencies". I knew stories about Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Myanmar. But, I never thought that there was a black market in Malawi.

In the case of Malawi, the official rate is about 1 dollar = about 165 MK (Malawi / Kwacha), But the darkness rate was about 265 MK for 1 dollar. The difference, about 1.6 times. It seems that this black market has not been in existence for a long time and has become active lately. The value of Malawi / Kwacha is steadily decreasing.

Coca-Cola of a 500 ml size PET bottle at the supermarket was sold at 120 MK, but it is 72 cents if it is the official rate, 45 cents if it is the darkness rate. I regretted using ATM calculated at the official rate. I purchased the information that "There is a currency converter in front of the supermarket" and exchanged money.

If I change the US dollar, my wallet will be bad.


A black young man exchanged for me, but since I became concerned, when I asked "Do you do it by yourself?" He told me "There is a boss at an Indian shop." What I found out when I talked is "At Malaysian shops, Malawi and Kwacha gather, I decided to convert it to US dollars and go to Zimbabwe to buy goods." The current currency of Zimbabwe is the US dollar.

Malawi's maximum amount of money is 500 MK. The official rate is about 250 yen, but if it is a darkness rate it will be a banknote with a considerably low face value of about 156 yen. For that reason, banks handled the bundle so as to overlay bricks. In the cash register when you get fishing at the supermarket, the bill was packed tightly.

This black market is mysterious, and some countries do not exist while taking fixed rates. The safer used in West Africa and Central Africa was fixed with the euro. However, it is easy to understand if you give an example of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe dollar has disappeared through the black market.

Uzbekistan where the black market also existed. I was exchanging money at precious metal stores and electrical appliances shops.


This economic turmoil is short of gasoline and has an effect on the daily lives of Malawians. There was a long line in front of the gas station and the car stopped. Still if you have gasoline, the line will still flow, so it's still better. There was also a row of cars without a driver to wait for gasoline that you do not know when to come in. When I was shopping at a gas station, I heard that "There is gasoline" and said "No two weeks have come" that such reply.

Supply of gasoline is governed by the government. However, there seems to be a black market here as well. A Japanese rider who met in Lilongwe said, "I put gasoline at 1 liter = 700 MK, which is near 350 yen at the official rate, it is the highest gasoline in the world." The official rate is 1 liter = 400 MK. When I asked "Where was gasoline?" He told me that "employees at the gas station are transferring to politank and selling them to a police tank."

A row of cars before the gas station.


Is the crown of Coca-Cola without printing an influence of the economic turmoil?


If you are a traveler with foreign currency, there is no problem, but the black market for the local people would be a matter of life or death. Because the value of the local currency is decreasing. Influence seemed to be occurring in Malawi due to this influence. In the past 150 MK, 180 MK in November 2011, 210 MK in January 2012 and the price of bread has risen. Local bus transportation buses were calling "150 MK". About 75 yen for the official rate, Malawi felt high because the African journey bus that I traveled was 30 yen, about 40 yen. This may also be an effect of soaring gasoline. Even the price of Coca - Cola which should be stable with the manufacturer 's suggested retail price, it was 60 MK - 80 MK and was uneven in Malawi. Even if prices rise due to inflation, salaries do not rise.

I investigated the reasons for this economic turmoil and found two reasons.

Going the wrong way - Malawi

Thursday after the landslide victory to Mutarika 's second term of 5 years in 2009, things bent. Having held more than two thirds of majority in Congress, the once widely praised president began showing autocratic signs. We postponed the local government election that will have a term of office until 2010, enacted a number of unconstitutional laws, intentionally threatened many of the people who tried to oppose him.

The problem became worse due to the recent slump in tobacco price. Malawi is the largest exporter of tobacco of Valley type, a dried tobacco used for cigarettes. About 80% of Malawi people depend on cigarettes for their lives. That is the second source of foreign currency income for the country after aid. When the price paid to farmers in 2006 declined to 90 cents per kilometer below the production cost, the government decided to introduce the annual lowest price. It was always unrealistically high, which caused a sharp increase in production, which led to a new price stagnation. In the year, the price per kilometer of the valley class, rose to just 1 dollar at auction, raised the status of Malawi's complaint, ignoring the official lowest price of 1.76 dollars.

The first term seems to be presidential dictatorship as a result of striving for steady government administration and expanding support. As a result of this, the government budget has stopped assistance from foreign countries, which can not be ignored. It is the momentum that Zimbabwe smells and can withdraw from the British Commonwealth if you can pry it. This is the first reason. And the second reason is tobacco price stagnation. Production is biased in one product Monoculture The bad aspect of the economy has come out. Due to these two reasons, foreign currency shortage occurred. Because there is no foreign currency, you can not buy gasoline satisfactorily.

Tobacco is a special product of Malawi.


Under such economic turmoil, it is easy for riots to occur in Malawi.

In the center of Lilongwe are supermarkets such as "South African capital" SPAR "" SHOPLITE "and discount stores such as" Game "line up. However, the inside of the shop is occupied by imported goods, and it is expensive even if it is from the price of Japan, and it is hard to get out. There are restaurants and pizza shops and it is like Europe. If you cross the river from the center of here, the area of ​​common people will spread. A simple blue sky stall in the vacant lot handles used clothes and shoes, and Chinese and Indian shops are erected on both sides of the street. There was a cafeteria that seemed to be African, and I often passed. People's traffic is also intense and lively place.

Center of Lilongwe.


A shopping center where South Africa's supermarket enters.


A shopping center in the suburbs.


Crossing this river is the common-people town of Lilongwe.


Street with shops on both sides.


Chinese shops with large stores.


One day afternoon crossed the river and looked at the area of ​​Lilongwe commoners. However, there are no shops available on the street. There is a firmly large padlock on the door. "I was wrongly caught a holiday" I was caught. Still in the second-hand market where you are doing business, asking "What's the store in store today? What is the holiday?" I said, "A rude awoke in the morning, everyone closed up the store, I will be opening tomorrow. I told you "I do not have it." A riot was taking place. In the riots that occurred before, Indian and Chinese shops are under attack. I felt somewhat disturbing air.

To know the recent movement of MalawiStart MalawiA site called Study will be.

Malawi like this may seem to be a "poor country". Before this economic turmoil, I had an image of "Malawi = poor country" from information coming from outside. But when I actually visited, it was different.

It is the second industrial country after Kenya to compare in East Africa. Sugar on Tanzania side, juice concentrates and cookies on Mozambique side, items from Malawi were sold near the border. This industrialization also took the parent South Africa policy as Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique and the anti-South African socialist country surround it. I guess that it has become more self-reliant as a result of isolation. Based on such industrial products from Malawi, there are supermarkets that are developing nationwide even in rural cities. There was nothing troubled with electricity and water supply. Portable 3G will be included even in the big city of the region. It is true that there is no electricity and no water service in the country but it seems that mangoes and fried bread are trading at 10 yen. However, the overall physical strength was sufficient when viewed throughout, and if Malawi was in West Africa it was the way of development that it would be the top level.

A lot of signboards when entering the city, "PEP" is a clothing chain store.


Well-seeing "Peoples" is a supermarket.


Peanuts which are industrial products. In other African countries individuals are stuffed with bags as a side job of home.


"Calsberg Beer" being drunk in Malawi is a Danish brand.


When I met a businessman in Zambia at Malawi, I heard that "the former president was not good in Zambia". Then I got interested and asked "What happened now?" And answered "I changed my mind as a new president." Naturally it is fresh because it is Africa. Malawi also has Japanese aid. That is why I would like to pay close attention to the movement towards dictatorship of Malawi.

I will leave for Malawi and head for Mozambique.


After this, on February 6, it seems that a riot has occurred in the same place as last time.

(Sentence / photo: Takuya S. Narou Charriderman
Cycling around the world for a bicyclehttp://shuutak.com)