Heading to the Malawi Border from Tete
Today was April 6th, an exciting day as I set out to reach what I hope will be my last country with the car: Malawi. I had to drive from Tete to the border at Zobue, and I had only heard bad news about that road. The N304 turned out to be a paved road that was never maintained, leaving it absolutely full of potholes. It’s generally better to have a sand road that has been reasonably maintained — it doesn’t develop the same kind of potholes as neglected pavement does. Part of the road runs along the Malawi border while still being in Mozambique.
Picking Up Passengers Along the Way
Along the way, a lady with five little kids asked if she could get a ride for a bit when I stopped. It was no problem at all — we put all six of them in the front of the car. It was only for 5 to 10 minutes, but it was a really fun event. Once I met up with the N7, the road was a lot better for the last stretch.
Visa on Arrival at the Malawi Border
The interesting thing about Malawi is that they tell you online that you can get a visa on arrival, but at the same time they suggest getting a visa online beforehand. Not every border may offer visa on arrival, so there was some uncertainty. Leaving Mozambique was straightforward as always. On the Malawi side, I asked if they would do a visa on arrival, and they would — great news! They needed $50 US, but the bills had to be from 2017 or later. I never realized there’s a year printed on every bill. Some of mine were from 2013 and 2007, obtained from ATMs in Liberia where they weren’t as particular about what went into the machines. After some running around to get proper change, the very friendly staff got everything sorted out.
Carnet de Passage and Insurance
Next came getting the Carnet de Passage signed off. A helpful local showed up who knew where all the offices were and walked me through the process. He was a religious person who asked if I was a Christian. When I asked about payment, he said he wouldn’t ask for money but I could give whatever I wanted. My stay was set at 30 days, and so was the insurance. The insurance cost 150,000 Kwacha.
Currency Exchange at the Border
A money changer at the border gave me 3,000 Kwacha per euro without even asking — the bank rate was about 2,200 Kwacha per euro. I knew I could have gotten 4,000 elsewhere, but I was happy with the 3,000. It’s all very fascinating how these informal exchange systems work at border crossings.
Digital Insurance System
The insurance person showed up, copied all the necessary information, and processed it in the system. By the time everything was done, it was already dark. The insurance came as a sticker placed behind the windshield, readable from the outside — no other paperwork. He showed me that everything is online, which is impressively advanced. I gave my helper €10, which is a lot of money in Malawi. He said he would have liked €20, but he was only there for an hour, so I felt it was fair.
Arriving in Mwanza for the Night
It was dark by then, but I only had a few kilometers to drive to the town of Mwanza (M-W-A-N-Z-A), where I expected to find a hotel or two. It was a little hard to find, but it turned out to be a pretty good place and they had a room available. The stay came with breakfast, though dinner wasn’t formally available. I could order something at the front desk and they would arrange it. I found the outside bar on the grounds, ordered a bowl of soup and a drink, and everything worked out. It was a very intense, interesting day. Thanks for coming along.
