FDI retreat threatens Malawi growth prospects – The Times Group

Malawi’s Capital Injection: K31.13bn Government Loan Sparks New Business Opportunities

Post was last updated: January 28, 2026

Key Business Points

  • The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) has raised K31.13 billion from Treasury bills, indicating continued fiscal strain and heavy reliance on domestic borrowing, which may impact malawi kwacha exchange rates and nkhwazi (inflation) levels.
  • Investor demand for Treasury bills remains strong, but yields on the 91-day bill have declined to 15%, signaling easing pricing pressures at the short end of the market, which could affect masamba (business) operations and chileka (investment) decisions.
  • The government’s borrowing patterns are troubling, with a cumulative fiscal deficit of K1.45 trillion between April and November, and a debt stock of K22.4 trillion as of September 2025, highlighting the need for usimba (fiscal discipline) and kujitenga (prudent financial management).

The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) has raised K31.13 billion from Treasury bills, indicating continued fiscal strain and heavy reliance on domestic borrowing. According to Bridgepath Capital’s Financial Market Update, the funds were mobilized entirely through Treasury bills across the 91-day, 182-day, and 364-day tenors. Investor demand remained strong, with applications totaling K142.44 billion, but only about 22% of bids were accepted. Most of the appetite was concentrated in short-dated paper, with the 91-day Treasury Bill accounting for 43.81% of total subscriptions.

The yield on the 91-day Treasury Bill declined to 15% from 16% in the previous week, signaling easing pricing pressures at the short end of the market. Yields on the longer-dated bills remained unchanged at 20% for the 182-day and 26% for the 364-day instruments. The RBM yield curve for government securities showed that Treasury notes were steady, with the two-year one at 28.75%, three-year one at 30%, five-year one at 32%, seven-year one at 34%, and 10-year one at 35%.

Economic analyst Marvin Banda said that borrowing patterns remained troubling at a time when the government was debt-distressed and claiming to operate under austerity measures. "Borrowing continues to remain on the short end, which is indicative of economic uncertainty and an appetite for expensive debt because the yield curve is steepest at the short end," Banda said. He observed that despite looming prospects of debt restructuring, the domestic market has maintained its appetite for lending to the government.

Banda noted that the further steepening of the curve suggests that market players are weighing both macroeconomic fundamentals and government policy signals. However, he said that unless alternative low-risk investment opportunities emerge at cheaper rates, the trend is unlikely to reverse. As of September 2025, total public debt stood at K22.4 trillion, with domestic debt comprising over 55% of the total public debt stock. This highlights the need for usimba (fiscal discipline) and kujitenga (prudent financial management) to ensure kulima (sustainable economic growth) and kuzizwa (poverty reduction).

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Vanessa Banda
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