Name of project: Shire-Zambezi waterway project
Project description: Serious efforts to improve infrastructure and utilities in Malawi has been ongoing in the recent past years. The Shire-Zambezi Waterways project entails re-opening the rivers to navigation in order to provide a direct waterway transport system between Nsanje in Southern Malawi and the port of Chinde in Mozambique, around 238 kilometres away. The Malawi Investment promotion Agency (MIPA) is promoting numerous investment
opportunities arising from this project.
Project location: Nsanje, in Southern Malawi
Cost of the investment: US$3.925 over a five year period.
Work done: A pre-feasibility study funded by the European Union is available to potential investors. Also, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Mozambique , Zambia and Malawi was signed in April 2007.
Importance to sponsor
• The waterway is expected to reduce the cost of Malawi’s imports considerably, and will enable the country, Mozambique and Zambia to make a cumulative saving of $250 million on transport costs.
• The project will provide Malawi with a multi-modal transport linkage through the rehabilitation of the rail line from Nsanje through Blantyre to Chipata in Zambia, and through Dona Ana to Sena in Mozambique.
• At project completion, Malawi will cease to be "landlocked" within the conventional definition.
For detailed information on opportunities arising from the water-way project contact the MIPA.
Key person: Noel G. Lihuku
Planning and Research Manager, MIPA
nlihiku@mipamw.org
