Zodiak Online

Beston Luka

Published: 15 April 2026

What was once hailed as Malawi’s next economic breakthrough has, for many farmers, turned into a costly illusion.

In 2021, cooperatives across the country plunged into industrial hemp farming, lured by promises that the crop—dubbed “green gold”—would rival tobacco as a top foreign-exchange earner.

With projections of up to $700 million in annual revenues, hope spread quickly from policy rooms to rural fields. For thousands of smallholder and commercial farmers, it seemed like a rare chance to escape the volatility of traditional crops and poverty.

Just a few seasons later, that promise lies in ruins.

Chisomo Chingwalu

Published: 13 April 2026

Malawi’s agriculture sector is set for transformation as Zortrax Honey Malawi rolls out an ambitious beekeeping initiative targeting one million farmers, a move expected to boost rural incomes and strengthen the country’s export-driven economy.

Online Journalist

Published: 10 April 2026

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture has launched Africa’s first soybean speed breeding facility in Zambia, marking a major breakthrough in efforts to accelerate crop improvement and strengthen food systems across the region.

Soybean has emerged as one of the most strategic crops in Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting nutrition, livestock feed, and agro-industrial development.

Innocent Kumchedwa

Published: 30 March 2026

Malawi is facing rampant theft of utility equipment, such as water board meters, more than ever before.

Members of the community are turning to any metal they see, vandalizing it or stealing it to sell at scrap metal markets found in almost every corner of the towns.

The majority of those selling scrap metal are children.

Despite this, Malawi has an act that prohibits scrap metal dealers from purchasing metals from children under the age of 14.

However, this law is outdated and not being enforced.

While Malawi continues to procrastinate on implementing proper regulations, it is the water boards and communities that are suffering.

Winstone Kaimira

Published: 30 March 2026

A 36-year-old Charity Waya of Nkolokosa Township in Blantyre is a frustrated lady. She is seeing her long time ambition of improving self- economic livelihood through cross-border trade, shrinking quickly.

Waya, used to import raw material from Zimbabwe to sell back home. She recalls, the profit she used to make from the business of selling school uniform cloth was enough to support her family.

But this has not been the case since the year 2022. She is no longer able to get foreign exchange especially United States Dollars and South African Rand, to keep the ball running, therefore, she closed the business.