• Malawi names 23-member cabinet to tackle corruption, economic crisis
• Inflation hit 27.3% in 2025 amid shortages and low growth
• Successive climate shocks and forex decline worsen economic challenges
  

Malawi’s President Arthur Peter Mutharika on October 28, 2025, announced the composition of his new government, a few weeks after taking office. The cabinet includes 23 members, five women and eighteen men.

Official Appointments pic.twitter.com/M7BWXcnvbN

— Malawi Government?? (@MalawiGovt) October 30, 2025

The new administration is tasked with implementing the president’s agenda, centered on fighting corruption and rebuilding an economy weakened by years of stagnation. The announcement comes as the country faces prolonged economic difficulties, double-digit inflation, and recurring shortages of basic goods.

According to the International Monetary Fund, Malawi’s economy grew by only 1.8% between 2022 and 2024, while inflation reached 27.3% in July 2025. A sharp decline in foreign currency reserves has further limited imports of essential goods, including fuel. The agriculture-dependent nation has also endured successive climate shocks, including a devastating cyclone in 2023 and a severe drought in 2024.

Ingrid Haffiny