Some 7.2 million Malawians cast ballots on Tuesday in a presidential election dominated by economic concerns, with former president Peter Mutharika leading the polls against incumbent Lazarus Chakwera.
In Manje township, Blantyre, the presence of political parties is visible everywhere – flags flutter from electrical poles and trees along the roads.
As one of Malawi's most densely populated townships, Manje has become a hotspot for rallies and campaign visits over the past two months, with voters now heading to polling stations as the country decides its future leadership.
Economy in crisis
Seventeen candidates are contesting the presidency, but the race has centered on Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who recent IPOR Malawi polling shows leading with 41 percent support, and Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party at 31 percent.
Other significant candidates include former Reserve Bank Governor Dalitso Kabambe (UTM party), Atupele Muluzi (UDF), and sitting Vice President Michael Usi.
The election comes as Malawi grapples with severe economic challenges that have dominated campaign messaging.
According to the World Bank, food price inflation has exceeded 20 percent while the kwacha, Malawi's currency, has lost 44 percent of its value since 2023, leaving a quarter of the country's 23 million citizens facing acute food insecurity.
Most Malawians live below the poverty line in one of the world's poorest countries, heavily dependent on rain-fed agriculture that has been battered by droughts, cyclones, and floods.
High youth unemployment persists, with thousands queuing at immigration offices hoping to work in stronger economies such as South Africa.
Prices of essential commodities, including maize, have skyrocketed, and the scarcity of loans on the official market has made sustaining major businesses increasingly difficult.
Malawi's economic crisis pushes prices beyond the reach of struggling population
A tight race
On Saturday, Mutharika held one of his final campaign rallies just hours before the official campaign period ended, addressing jubilant supporters clad in the party's colour of blue.
"In 2018, you received me here in large numbers," he told the crowd. "But these numbers are more than in 2018. Your votes should exceed 2019. [This election is] very important because we will choose whether this country should continue going down or improve."
Meanwhile, Chakwera addressed his supporters in the capital, Lilongwe, during his final rally, promising continuity and solutions to pressing economic issues that have dominated voter concerns.
"I have heard your concerns about rising prices, shortages of fuel, and delays in business," he said. "I promise you that the solutions will start from the very day I take the oath again."
This marks only the second election conducted under the 50+1 constitutional threshold established by Malawi's Constitutional Court in 2020, meaning a run-off would be required if no candidate wins an outright majority.
Presidential candidates have historically struggled to cross the 50 percent threshold in Malawi – since 1990, only Bakili Muluzi in 1999 and Bingu wa Mutharika in 2009 achieved outright majorities, according to electoral records.
Voters’ verdict
Political scientist Wonderful Mkutche noted that the elections are taking place amid serious economic challenges, including a shortage of foreign exchange.
"Malawians are feeling the pinch of the economy. And that has also made most of the voters or Malawians focus on what the leaders are saying in terms of the economy," he said.
The Malawi Electoral Commission, which has confirmed all 17 presidential candidates for the ballot, must announce results within eight days of polling unless directed otherwise by a court.
Six international observer missions are monitoring the vote to ensure transparency.
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As polling day unfolds across the country, from bustling townships such as Manje to rural villages, the economic struggles of Malawi remain central to voters' minds, shaping what could be one of the country's most consequential elections in recent memory.
Should a run-off be required, it would place extraordinary demands on the nation's democratic institutions, at a time when citizens are most focused on immediate economic relief.
