Malawi’s public markets, once the heartbeat of commerce in cities and urban areas, are now telling a troubling story of neglect and deterioration.
For generations, the facilities offered decent shelter and organised trading spaces that gave traders dignity as they pursued their livelihoods.
But today, most traders who depend on the markets for survival face crumbling structures, poor sanitation and unsafe spaces, turning their daily business into a struggle.
In Blantyre, markets such as Zingwangwa, Ndirande, Limbe and Bangwe illustrate how once-vibrant centres of commerce have steadily lost their shine.
Similar poorly maintained surroundings are visible at Kawale, Mchesi and Area 3 in Lilongwe, Chibavi and Katawa in Mzuzu, Chinamwali in Zomba and Zomba Main.
Small Scale Business Operators Association of Malawi (SSBOAM) general secretary Tennyson Mulimbula said the association was fully aware of the dilapidated state of most produce markets.
He cited the lack of hygiene-enhancing facilities such as water taps, toilets and waste bins as among the major challenges.
Mulimbula claimed research conducted by the association established that the root cause was corruption and misuse of market funds that councils collect through market fees and other revenues.
“The association has also noted that privately-owned markets have conducive environment for both traders and consumers,” he said.
Mulimbula said the association was advocating public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a lasting solution to bring sanity to the management of market facilities.
Malawi Local Government Association (Malga) chief executive officer Hadrod Zeru Mkandawire welcomed Mulimbula’s proposal for PPP arrangements, saying they would enhance efficiency and improve service quality.
“However, we would like to put it on record that bad social behaviour and vandalism by both market users and the general public is the supreme reason for the deterioration of public infrastructure and amenities,” he said.
But Mkandawire also called for strong leadership in markets and other public amenities, coupled with responsible citizenship, to facilitate the maintenance of quality infrastructure and services.
Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas) structural engineer Ignasio Ngoma observed that deteriorating market infrastructure poses several structural and safety risks.
These include roof structures being blown off by strong winds and cyclones, exposing traders and customers to the risk of being hit by flying timber, steel or iron sheets.
Ngoma, an associate professor of civil engineering, said councils should replace defective items and ensure they are securely fastened to columns or walls.
“The other way is to build new market buildings that take account of climate resilience. There is an increased intensity of wind load that is compounded by cyclones,” said Ngoma.
The Malawi National Urban Profile, produced under UN-Habitat’s Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme, found significant deficiencies in market infrastructure across Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba.
The study found that all four cities had inadequate markets and infrastructure for local economic development, forcing some small and medium-sized enterprises to operate in undesignated areas.
Deserted shelter at Ndirande Main Market. | Lucky Mkandawire
It also proposed needs assessments for individual markets, followed by the construction of new markets and infrastructure improvements.
Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director John Kapito blamed the poor infrastructure on the failure of local authorities.
Kapito called for urgent action to upgrade all markets with clean water, adequate toilets, waste management systems and proper shelters.
Malawi Environmental Health Association president Bertha Sato said the situation has become particularly troubling from a sanitation perspective.
She warned that poor sanitation in markets poses serious public health risks, particularly through leaking sewer lines, unmanaged wastewater and solid waste.
Sato, a global health specialist, said sewage creates conditions for waterborne, foodborne and vector-borne diseases, including cholera, eye infections and skin infections.
She said these conditions expose not only nearby communities, but also traders, shoppers and visitors to serious health risks.
She described inadequate toilets as another major concern, saying people urinating in undesignated areas increase infection risks, pollute the air and contribute to respiratory problems.
“Unfortunately, for markets, because this is where trade happens… it means that this danger is not only for those surrounding that communities, it is to a wider community of people,” she said.
For applied economist Steven Kayira, neglecting public markets imposes costs far beyond poor infrastructure.
He observed that poor market infrastructure reduces trader productivity as businesses operate in congested, insecure and poorly organised environments.
He said such conditions reduce customer traffic, increase losses from damage or theft, and make it harder for businesses to expand.
“When infrastructure is poor, congestion, inadequate storage, poor sanitation and insecurity make transactions more costly. This can ultimately translate into higher prices or lower margins for both traders and consumers,” he said.
Regardless of the situation, Ndirande Market chairperson, who is also one of the longest serving traders there, Chancy Widoni sees potential in public markets.
He said in an interview Ndirande serves not only Blantyre but the entire nation and yet it has been abandoned by authorities in terms of maintenance.
“We appeal to the authorities to rebuild the market. One day authorities will lose control of this market because we pay market fees but the conditions are bad. Most structures are unusable and yet there is nothing they are doing ,” lamented Widoni who has been trading in the market for the past 33 years.
