Malawi Homeland Security Minister Ken Zikhałe in a gazette notice, on February 7, had made this announcement. With tobacco and tea taking the top spot respectively in the impoverished southern African nation as the largest source of foreign currency, this decision comes as a measure to boost the tourism sector that occupies third place in the country. 

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Lazarus Chakwera said, “Tourism is the third-largest source of foreign currency in the impoverished southern African nation, after tobacco and tea — but the sector is underperforming.” He added, “Chief among the factors contributing to this is our country’s accessibility, which is why we have implemented the visa waiver program,” reported AFP.

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The United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional bloc, are among the countries that will benefit from this visa waiver. However, this visa exemption remains invalid in those countries that impose visa requirements on Malawian citizens.

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Tourism Minister, Vera Kamtukule mentioned that onerous visa requirements had been throttling the country’s potential — and caused complaints.” He said, “Our strategy is to attract investments in agriculture, tourism, and mining,” reported AFP. He added, “By eliminating visa requirements for our key source markets globally, we are signalling that Malawi is open for business.”

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Moreover, under the new visa regulations, the validity of multiple entry visas in Malawi has been extended to up to 12 months.

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Africa’s third-largest freshwater lake is a part of the landlocked nation, partially covered by the waters of Lake Malawi which is listed as a World Heritage site by UN culture agency UNESCO. It is famous for its crystal-clear waters, sandy beaches and diverse marine life and is home to abundant wildlife, including elephants, hippos and crocodiles.

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Published: 12 Feb 2024, 02:03 PM IST