By Isaac Salima:
Consumers across the country are feeling the strain of rising sugar prices and continued scarcity of the commodity with households, traders and small businesses all caught in the pressure of a tightening market.
The basic household staple used daily in tea, baking and small-scale food businesses, is now being sold well above the recommended price of K4,600 per kilogramme (kg) packet with most private traders charging around K5,500 to K5,700 depending on location.
In Blantyre, consumers are paying as much as K5,700 for a kg, about K1,100 above the official price while in Nsanje, Thyolo, Liwonde, Lilongwe and Mzuzu prices are largely hovering around K5,500.
“You wonder when this problem is going to end,” Blantyre-based James Chimenyera lamented after finding empty shelves at a supermarket in Blantyre.
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The impact is also being felt in small retail businesses where traders say they have little choice but to pass on higher costs to consumers due to limited access to official supply channels.
“We are buying a bag of sugar at around K105,000 from other traders. In that case we do not have a choice but sell the product way above the official price,” Mavuto Khomole, a trader in Chilomoni Township, said.
The shortage has also forced rationing in formal retail outlets with chain stores intermittently limiting purchases to two packets per customer when stock is available.
The sugar shortage which dates back to around 2024 has persisted despite periodic assurances from stakeholders.
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Officials attribute the situation to production challenges, illegal exports and hoarding although supply chain disruptions continue to keep the market under pressure.
Consumers Association of Malawi Executive Director John Kapito warned that relief may not be immediate, citing demand pressures and structural issues in the market.
“The prices will continue going up because of higher demand. There are a lot of people who have gone into smuggling and that has created gaps,” Kapito said.
Ministry of Trade spokesperson Patrick Botha and Illovo spokesperson Olive Kawelama had not responded to questionnaires by press time.
Sugar production in Malawi is expected to begin around April with the season running through December but delays in harvesting and supply disruptions continue to raise concerns over whether the market will stabilise soon.
