In a welcome shift for households and traders alike, Blantyre is witnessing a notable return to normalcy as sugar — once painfully scarce — is back on shelves and selling at reasonable prices. This relief comes after weeks of uncertainty that saw prices soar and tempers flare.
Now retailing at a more stable K2,800 to K3,000 per packet, sugar is flowing freely in both formal outlets and informal markets, bringing palpable relief to consumers and traders alike. Even vendors who once capitalised on the shortage by selling at inflated rates outside supermarkets are adjusting their prices downward — a clear sign of market correction.
Mirriam Chiwalo, a trader in Manyowe Township, summed up the mood: “There’s no more panic buying or scrambling. Supermarkets are well-stocked, and that means we too can sell at fair prices. It’s a huge relief.”
This turnabout follows reassurances from Illovo Sugar Malawi, whose spokesperson Kondwani Msimuko confirmed that production had resumed with the start of the sugar milling season. The timing is no coincidence — it reflects broader interventions by the Chakwera administration aimed at stabilising key sectors and protecting ordinary Malawians from economic shocks.
While critics have often pointed fingers during times of scarcity, the latest developments illustrate the long game being played by the current government — one focused not on quick fixes, but on rebuilding supply chains and restoring public confidence.
As the markets sweeten, so too does the public mood — and it’s this steady, behind-the-scenes governance that President Lazarus Chakwera’s supporters argue makes the case for his leadership beyond 2025. In a political climate often driven by drama, perhaps quiet competence is the most powerful campaign message of all.
