Many football clubs in Malawi are failing to invest in activities that bring them closer to supporters, limiting their ability to grow their fan bases and strengthen their financial sustainability.
Ekhaya FC, however, is taking a different approach, using community outreach and direct engagement to build relationships beyond match days.
A strong fan base does more than boost gate revenue. It builds loyalty, gives supporters a sense of belonging and provides clubs with a stronger foundation for long-term financial sustainability.
Figures released by the Super League of Malawi (Sulom) on gate revenue for the first round of the current FDH Bank Premiership season illustrate the gap between clubs.
Mighty Wanderers topped the earnings with K93.73 million, followed by FCB Nyasa Big Bullets with K88.20 million. Silver Strikers generated K39.39 million, while Ekhaya FC, in only its third season in the elite league, recorded K23.85 million.
Ekhaya’s earnings surpassed those of established sides such as Civil Service United (Civo), Karonga United, Red Lions and Kamuzu Barracks.
In an interview, Ekhaya FC chief executive officer Thandose Mhango said the club’s strategy was to bring it closer to the people.
“Activities such as our engagement with students at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas) and our community outreach, including the visit to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, help us build relationships beyond match days. We want Ekhaya to have a meaningful presence in the community throughout the year,” he said.
Mhango said the club had also strengthened its media capacity to tell its story and make players more familiar to supporters.
I Courtesy of Mighty Wanderers
“Our brand ambassador partnership is another step towards reaching wider audiences, particularly young people. Alongside this, we are developing our digital platforms and merchandise offering to create more opportunities for supporters to engage with the club and express their identity,” he said.
He added that Ekhaya was building a clear playing identity based on positive, entertaining and purposeful football.
“Winning the Airtel Top 8 helped build that connection, and our responsibility is to strengthen it through the football we play and the relationships we build,” he said.
Mhango said the club wanted to develop a loyal and inclusive supporter community that would grow with it over the years.
“For us, supporters are partners in the club’s future, and we must earn their loyalty through our actions,” he said.
Even Mighty Wanderers, one of the country’s most popular clubs, says it wants more active support from its followers.
Club president and main sponsor Thomson Mpinganjira said supporters should demonstrate their commitment by participating in club activities and attending matches.
“A real supporter will always support the club by supporting its initiatives, such as membership drives, patronising games by paying gate entry fees and cheering the team. I urge our fans to show up,” he said.
Soccer analyst George Chiusiwa said fan engagement was critical to the modernisation, commercial viability and on-field success of football clubs.
“Unfortunately, many clubs in Malawi have not invested much in fan engagement as an integral function in their institutional set-up.
“The successful teams, including new entrants in the elite league like Ekhaya FC, have established proper structures to support the fan engagement function, with clearly planned activities,” he said.
Chiusiwa said clubs needed to go beyond using the media to reach potential supporters. They should also invest in corporate social responsibility initiatives and establish direct links with communities through regional, district and zonal committees.
“Such structures are central to taking the football club to the people,” he said.
He also said clubs needed to commit financial resources to fan engagement, arguing that many wrongly reduced the function to maintaining social media platforms and announcing fixtures.
“Genuine fan engagement is also about strong loyalty and emotional connection with the football club. It is also about optimisation of revenue generation and improved fan experience,” he said.
Chiusiwa added that effective engagement should turn potential supporters and passive spectators into active fans.
Football follower and former Dedza Dynamos general secretary Mabvuto Mugode said growing a fan base should be a priority for every club, regardless of its history or status.
He said a long history in football did not automatically guarantee a strong or growing following.
“Clubs such as Dedza, Karonga and Civo need to continuously invest in strategies that bring supporters closer to their teams. Clubs must also stop taking their supporters for granted,” he said.
Mugode commended Ekhaya for growing its fan base despite being a relatively new club.
“Football clubs must understand that supporters are not just spectators; they are an important part of the club’s investment and success. A club that invests in its supporters is investing in its future,” he said.
Civo club manager Christopher Longwe admitted that the club had done little to expand its following.
“It is true that we have done less to grow our fan base, a critical component for the club’s success, despite our club being among the oldest. We need to work on that now by engaging zonal committees to start registering supporters, with incentives such as free club T-shirts. We hope that through such incentives, we can grow the fan base,” he said.
Dedza Dynamos chief executive officer Haswell Gamphani said the club planned to engage community leaders to help attract more supporters.
“This is a critical area that, as a club, we are taking into serious consideration. We have identified areas where we will engage community leaders to help us in wooing people to be part of the club’s fan base,” he said.
