Frequent power cuts are forcing businesses to burn more money on generators, lose customers and spoil stock, with operators warning that unreliable electricity is choking productivity and jobs.

NEWS | Business & Economy | By Watipaso Mzungu

Persistent power outages, including the latest nationwide blackout on Wednesday night, are inflicting financial damage on businesses across Malawi, with some operators describing an economy increasingly forced to run on generators.

The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) confirmed that the nationwide outage began at 10:45pm on Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

In a statement issued more than two hours later, ESCOM said the blackout followed a system shutdown whose cause had not yet been established.

“Our technical team is on the ground to establish the cause of the system shutdown. We will inform the nation once all facts have been established,” the utility said, while apologising to customers for the inconvenience.

For businesses, however, the apology does little to offset the losses.

In Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Zomba and other commercial centres, traders, manufacturers and service providers say frequent outages are choking cash flow, spoiling stock and forcing them to spend more on fuel to keep generators running.

Maria Phiri, a restaurant owner in Lilongwe’s Kanengo Industrial Area, said she lost an entire day’s revenue and food stock after electricity went off around noon and was not restored until late at night.

“Customers walk in, see no lights and they walk out. At the end of the month we are paying rent, wages and ESCOM bills, but we are not making profit because we work half the day in darkness,” said Phiri.

A printing company owner in Blantyre said production schedules have collapsed because machines cannot operate consistently.

“We have orders from schools and companies but we keep telling them there are delays. Diesel for generators has doubled our operating costs,” said the business owner, who opted for anonymity. “How do we compete with imports when we are producing in darkness?”

Retailers and small business operators, including mobile money agents, salon owners, welders and cold-room operators, say outages lasting several hours are forcing them to close early or lose business.

“Every time ESCOM cuts power, I lose customers to the shop with a generator. But I cannot afford fuel every day. It means I am losing business to those who can,” said Frank Nyirenda, a bar owner at Mzuzu Bus Depot.

The Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) has previously warned that unreliable electricity is among the biggest constraints to doing business in Malawi.

Economists say persistent outages increase the cost of production, discourage investment and undermine economic growth, particularly as the country tries to recover from high inflation and foreign exchange shortages.

ESCOM has maintained that electricity generation continues to lag behind demand. But business operators say the problem has persisted for too long without a lasting solution.

“We understand maintenance, but this is now every week. How do you plan a business when you don’t know if there will be power tomorrow?” asked Yusuf Abdullah, a hardware dealer in Zomba.

The latest nationwide blackout comes after weeks of load shedding, adding to growing frustration among businesses already struggling with rising operating costs.

Business operators are now calling on government and ESCOM to prioritise a stable electricity supply for commercial areas, warning that continued disruptions could lead to more closures and job losses.

“We are not asking for free electricity. We are asking for power that allows us to work. Right now, we are not running productive businesses, and the economy is bleeding with us,” said James Mkwala, a welder in Karonga Boma.

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