Lack of proper public transportation system in Malawi has led to the growing of an informal sector of motorbike taxis popularly known as Kabaza across the country. Since it is affordable and easily accessible when needed, most people both in urban and rural areas depend on kabaza to move from point A to point B. This in turn means a large part of the population of the country depends on the industry for a living.
Kishoni Mazuwa, 30, from Kasungu, a town on the central western border with Zambia and a Kabaza operator, says he has been plying his trade since 2019 when he quit his job as a night guard at a local accommodation unit to pursue entrepreneurship route having saved some money from his salary and proceeds from onion farming. With his savings, he says he bought a used motorcycle.
Mazuwa says the winding up of a national bus company two decades ago left a public transportation gap which needed to be filled up, so he got inspired him to venture into the motorbike bus so as to provide transportation services to people in his area who were struggling to find a reliable and on demand means of transport.
“When I was growing up, we used to see a buses which used to come here in the evening from the capital Lilongwe and they would leave the following morning. The daily bus service was greatly assisting us as they were reliable and affordable. However, when Stagecoach, as the bus company was known, closed shop, people were left to depend on hitchhiking. This eventually opened an opportunity for me and others to come in to bridge the gap.” he explains.
Chinese made motorcycles have gained prominence as a way of readily available transportation to various routes and destinations across Malawi where only 20 percent of the nation’s 15,451 kilometres road network is paved (https://www.ra.org/roads/road-network/). Thousands of motorcycles ply their trade across the country carrying passengers and all sorts goods to destinations some of which are not reachable by motor vehicles . The motorbike taxi has evolved into a vibrant informal employment sector as many young people have found an income generating activity in a country where unemployment rate hovers around 5 percent according to World Bank report of 2024 (https://humancapital.worldbank.org/en/economy/MWI).
For Mazuwa, he says most of his clients are the small scale cross-border business people who often cross the border at Jenda to order grocery stocks at nearby Zambian town of Lundazi respectively. A kabaza trip from Jenda town to Lundazi costs 15,000 Malawi ($8) Kwacha respectively. On a good day, Mazuwa says he makes MK40,000 ($22) which he uses to support his family including a brother who is in secondary school. He also maintains his motorcycle so that it is in good running conditions so as to maximize productivity.
“I am able to support my family’s basic needs through the proceeds I earn from my business as a motorbike taxi operator. I am even able to pay for secondary school fees for my young brother from the same income.” he explains.
Mazuwa says he is saving some of his earnings so that he can purchase another motorcycle which he hopes will enable him to earn enough so that he will be able to pay for his brother’s tertiary education.
Another operator of kabaza is Wadi Michongwe from Area 21 in Lilongwe who explains the motorcycles he has been operating since he ventured into the business nine years ago are not his own, but rather are rented out to him buy the owners at an agreeable daily fees. He says from the daily proceeds, he is able to buy gasoline for the motorcycle, pay daily rental fees to the owner while at the same time being left with enough to provide for his needs.
He says despite the market base having a lot of operators like him, he is still able to make an income because of what terms as honesty, reliability and his strict adherence to road traffic rules and regulations which makes some people prefer him to other players.
“There has been an increase in the number of motorcycle taxi operators with more people joining us on daily basis, however, I do not worry at all as my work ethics on the road makes my services to be one of the most sought after in Area 21 location. Unlike some operators, who are known for the lawlessness on the road, I am so strict when it comes to safety of me, my passenger and other road users” he explains.
Florence Moyo, a businesswoman trading in clothes in Area 23, a high density township in Lilongwe and one of regular users of Kabaza says the emergence of motorcycle taxis has been handy to her and many other people as they offer affordable convenience by improving access to goods and services which in turn is boosting her business.
“I find Kabaza faster, convenient and affordable. I can go to town and return without having to worry about traffic jams or staying in a minibus for so long waiting for it to fill to capacity before embark on our journey. Besides, I am happy to jump on a motorcycle taxi as I know it is offering many jobless youths something meaningful to do instead being involved in criminal activities in our localities.” she explains.
There are no documented figures about the number of kabaza operators in Malawi. However, the Malawi Coalition for Kabaza Associations and Stakeholders (MACOKASA), an umbrella group of motorcycle taxi operators, says the group has a membership of about 2 million. This means the sector is one of the fastest growing and is offering informal jobs to many youths who in turn are contributing to the social economic development of the country.
However, the growth of the motorcycle taxis sector has seen an alarming increase in road accidents. The Department of Road Traffic and Safety Services reported 4,566 kabaza related accidents that claimed 472 lives between 2020 and 2023. The increase in accidents, apart from deaths, is also resulting in injuries and disabilities which are choking already overstretched public health facilities. Authorities at Kamuzu Central Hospital, the largest referral hospital in central Malawi have even reserved a ward specifically for motorcycle accidents survivors.
A passenger welfare advocate, Symon Chimkango has bemoaned the growing tendency of some kabaza operators’ lawlessness on the roads which puts them and passengers lives at risk.
“Overspeeding is rampant among these riders, and most of them are driving their motorcycles with no protective gear like crash helmets and night reflectors while their motorcycles are not registered at all. This puts lives of themselves and passengers at risk,” Chimkango said.
“In absence of a regularized public transportation system in our growing cities and urban centres, the kabazas have come in quick to fill the gap, however, they have also proven to be unsafe as evidenced by high numbers of accidents being recorded. There is a need for authorities to conduct inspections on the roadworthiness of these motorcycles and proficiency of their operators.” he said.
While almost all of the motorcycle taxis plying on the roads of Malawi are powered by gasoline engines, it is encouraging to see the coming in of electric motorcycles. One of the Kabaza operators in Lilongwe using an electric motorcycle is Ajilu Umali who says has been operating an electric motorcycle taxi since February this. He says since switching to the electric motorcycle taxi, he has made maximized profits as there are no costs for gasoline which were previously costing him a lot.
“The electric motorcycle has significantly cut my operating costs as compared to the gasoline powered. I am saving about K500,000 (US$225) a month which I could have used to buy gasoline. And most importantly it allows me to reduce environmental pollution that comes with gasoline powered machines.” he says.
The electric motorcycles for kabaza in Malawi has been pioneered by Sanguo Ventures (SGV), a Chinese electric motorcycle manufacturer led by Evan Liu who explains he was inspired to find a solution after identifying significant opportunities in the Malawi’s underdeveloped transportation sector which has been relying on fossil fuel powered engines.
“Since we started operations in the country, we are making ground-breaking efforts to electrify transportation. SGV is building new all electric motorcycles from traditional gasoline powered motorcycles, solar batteries, motorcycle parts, including a maintenance-free motor and control computer.” He explained
Liu says SGV plans to roll out 50,000 locally made motorbikes nationwide in the next five years so that more people are able to switch to a more sustainable and environmental friendly travelling which does not produce smoke, comes with charging system and are cheaper as compared to the existing gasoline powered ones.
The Kabaza sector in Malawi has also led to the growth local motorcycle trade and repair industry where we have witnessed mushrooming of motorcycle dealers in cities and towns of the country making it easier for people to buy motorcycles. This has also opened an opportunity for many young people who are specializing in repairing the motorcycles, thereby casting the net wider for the people making a living out of the motorcycle taxi industry.