Malawi's fuel shortage entered its second week on Monday, 12 October, with long queues at petrol stations and growing disruption to transport, businesses and daily travel.
Motorists sometimes spend several nights in their vehicles while waiting for a delivery, as there is no clear timetable for a return to normal supply. Queues quickly re-form whenever a station receives petrol or diesel, while drivers travel further and further in search of available fuel.
The scarcity of fuel has already pushed up minibus fares. Coxley Kamange, secretary general of the minibus owners' association, has called for swift government action, according to comments reported by Malawi24 and picked up by Africanews. Some passengers are refusing the new fares and walking their journeys instead.
The effects go beyond the transport of people. Businesses that depend on deliveries or generators are losing customers and bearing additional costs. A prolonged shortage could also disrupt the movement of food, farming activities and services that use diesel to keep their equipment running.
Malawi imports most of its petroleum products and must secure foreign currency to pay for the cargoes. The chronic shortage of dollars reduces importers' ability to secure sufficient volumes, while tensions on global markets are raising the cost of the energy bill.
The country had already faced supply difficulties earlier in 2026. In January, the Energy Regulatory Authority raised the maximum prices of petrol and diesel by about 42 per cent after the automatic adjustment mechanism was reactivated, a measure designed to bring domestic prices closer to import costs and the exchange rate.