At exactly 5.30am, before most shops open their shutters, the engines begin to growl at Soche Quarry in Blantyre.
Young men mostly in tattered reflective jackets lean against their motorcycle taxis locally known as kabaza, some laughing, others quiet, waiting for the first customer of the day.
Dust rises with every passing minibus. However, for 24-year-old Blessings Mhone, each turn of the ignition key is not just about transport. It is about survival, dignity and a dream that stretches far beyond the road.
“I didn’t plan to be a kabaza rider,” he says, adjusting his helmet. “After passing the Malawi School Certificate of Education examinations, I looked for work everywhere. Nothing came. This bike became my office.”
Mhone has been riding for three years. On a good day, he makes between K20 000 and K30 000 before the recent fuel adjustment and the daily rental fee he pays to the motorcycle owner.
On a bad day, especially during the rainy season, he can return home with less than half that amount.
But still, he refuses to call it a dead end.
“This motorbike is not my future,” Mhone says firmly. “It is a new start. I am saving to buy my own motorcycle first. After that, I want to start a small hardware shop at home in Kasungu District.”
In both rural and urban trading centres across Malawi, thousands of young men share a similar story.
The kabaza sector has quietly become one of the largest employers of youth in the informal economy.
With limited formal job opportunities and growing economic pressure, motorcycle taxi riding offers immediate cash, flexible hours and a sense of independence.
But behind the speed and constant movement lies uncertainty.
Mike Phiri, 27, has been riding in Blantyre’s Ndirande Township for five years. He supports a wife and two children.
“People think we make a lot of money,” he says with a tired smile. “But fuel prices go up. Spare parts are expensive. Sometimes police mount roadblocks, and we lose time. It is not easy.”
Phiri’s biggest dream is to build a two-bedroom house in his village in Thyolo District.
“I want my family to move out of a rented single-room house,” he says. “I don’t want my children to grow up struggling like I did. If I work hard for five more years, maybe I can finish the house.”
For many riders, 2026 represents more than just another year. It promotes hope or at least the possibility of change.
“We hear politicians talk about youth empowerment,” Mhone says. “But after elections, we are on our own again.”
Several riders interviewed expressed mixed feelings about politics.
Some said they feel valued during campaign periods, when election candidates hire them for mobilisation and transport.
Others said they feel forgotten once ballots are counted.
At Mzuzu City’s Taifa Market, Isaac Banda, 22, says he will vote cautiously in 2030.
“I will vote because it is my right,” he says. “But what we want is practical support, maybe loans, to buy our own bikes, skills training, or business grants. Not just promises.”
Passengers, too, see the kabaza sector as a mirror of Malawi’s broader youth unemployment crisis.
“These boys are hardworking,” says Memory Chirwa, a regular customer for Mhone in Limbe. But many of them have certificates. The system has failed them. Riding a motorcycle should not be the only option for young people.”
For Edward Chembe who operates his business in Limbe, this is just a means to an end.
He says: “I want money to process a passport and leave for South Africa for greener pastures”.
Political and governance analysts note that young people in the informal sector form a significant voting bloc.
Their concerns—jobs, affordable loans, stable fuel prices and business opportunities—are likely to shape voters choices in the countrdown to 2030.
Young Voices programmes manager Emmanuel Namponya believes that the government is taking a good step towards empowering the youth.
“We should look beyond short-term solutions, the government is allocating K100 million to each constituency for young people and women to support their small businesses, this shows how committed it is in creating conducive environment for the young entrepreneurs”, he said.
In his State of the Nation Address (Sona) titled, The path to economic recovery: delivering a people-centred development, President Peter Mutharika highlighted skills development and empowering small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as major priorities for the youth.
Yet for kabaza riders, politics feels distant compared to daily realities. The price of petrol, neglected roads and customers matter more than campaign slogans.
As the sun climbs higher, business picks up. Mhone ferries a nurse to work, then a vendor to the market, weaving carefully through traffic. Every trip adds a few more kwachas to his pocket.
By late afternoon, sweat has soaked through his shirt. He pauses briefly to count his earnings. Hoping he will get some extra cash for lunch and a sachet of water.
The business today does not allow him to have lunch worth K2 000.
“It has been an average day not excellent, not terrible. Enough to send something home and keep hope alive,” he says.
Despite the risks of accidents, theft, unpredictable income he remains optimistic.
“Life is about moving,” he says, glancing at the steady stream of motorcycles lining the roadside. “If you stop, you lose. So we keep riding.”
As dusk settles and engines fall silent, the young men gather once more, sharing jokes and stories from the day.
Some will wake up before sunrise again tomorrow. Others will ride into the night, chasing one last customer.
For them, the road is both a workplace and metaphor. It is uncertain, sometimes rough, occasionally rewarding. But it leads somewhere.
As Malawians wait for campaign promises to be fulfilled these riders, often overlooked, frequently underestimated, continue to navigate their own journeys toward stability, respect and a better tomorrow.
Each ride is a small investment in a dream one kilometre at a time.
