Tourism ministry urges Malawians to invest in water transport

Malawi is missing an opportunity to improve its attractiveness to foreign tourists due to lack of activity taking place along Lake Malawi characterised by a lack of speed boats and other cruiser ships, director of Tourism Patricia Liabuba has said.

Speaking in an interview in Mangochi on Sunday, Liabuba said government wants more Malawians to buy boats and invest in water tourism if the country can compete with its neighbours such as Zambia.

Liabuba´s sentiments come at a time when a Malawian company, Lake Safaris, has purchased an 80-seater ship known as MV Mwande.

Said Liabuba: “There is huge opportunity for the country to improve its tourism especially along the shores of the Lake Malawi. I was in Zambia recently and I was surprised to see boats cruising on the Zambezi River as if they are minibuses. That is what we want to do here and for a start we assisted Lake Safaris to purchase a ship duty-free because we know it will improve tourism along the Lake Malawi.”

She said it is a pity that tourists go to the lake and find no activity apart from swimming.

“We need more speed boats on our lake and as government we want Malawians to take an active role in purchasing boats because tourism is a very lucrative business,” she said.

Managing director of Lake Safaris, Sute Mwakasungula, said he established his company in 2012 after noting a gap in the water transport.

“When the Ilala broke down there was an outcry from many Malawians who rely on the ship and I thought I should do something. I was touched by the story when some foreigners died in Karonga because of using unseaworthy boats,” said Mwakasungula.

He said currently has two boats; one a seven-seater and the 80-seater Mwande which was built in Port Elizabeth and assembled at Chipoka in Salima.

“I spent about K105 million and I plan to introduce more water taxis in due course. My plea to Malawians and other corporate institutions is to try the Mwande because it is stable and can be used for various functions, including weddings, corporate parties or just cruising on the lake,” he said.

Managing director for South Africa-based Rat Race, Dewald Visser, who was on test trip said the ship is one of the best and Malawians must make full use of it.

“This is one of the most stable ship I have ever boarded and I encourage other people to invest in this kind of business because tourism has the potential to transform the fortunes of this country economically,” said Visser.