This is a list of notable people from Malawi:

Activists

Chikondi Chabvuta Chikondi Chabvuta is a climate justice and women’s rights advocate from Malawi. She is an AWARD fellow. Education Chabvuta was part of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in its early years. She was recognised as a young African wom ...

Emmie Chanika Emmie Takomana Chanika (26 May 1956 – 29 July 2022) was a Malawian human rights activist. History A trained registered nurse, Chanika began working in 1992 as human rights groups started to form and agitate for political change in Malawi whic ...

* John Chilembwe *

Rafiq Hajat Rafiq Hajat (14 September 1955 – 13 September 2021) was a prominent Malawian civil rights activist. He was born in Blantyre. He was the director for the Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) in Malawi. He received a B.A. in political science a ...

Artists

Felix Mnthali Felix Mnthali (born 1933 in Southern Rhodesia) is a Malawian poet, novelist and playwright. Educated at what is now the National University of Lesotho, Mnthali's works include a book of poetry, '' When Sunset Comes to Sapitwa'' (1980), and a novel ...

* Lucius Chicco Banda* *

Frank Chipasula Frank Mkalawile Chipasula (born 16 October 1949) is a Malawian writer, editor and university professor, "easily one of the best of the known writers in the discourse of Malawian letters". Life Born in Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia, Frank Chipasula a ...

Jack Mapanje Jack Mapanje (born 25 March 1944)John Lwanda John Lloyd Chipembere Lwanda (born 1949) is a Malawian medical doctor, writer, poet, researcher, publisher, and music producer.Shemu Joyah Charles Shemu Joyah (born 1959) is a producer and director from Malawi. He was born in Zimbabwe. His third movie, The Road to Sunrise, was selected as the Malawian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. Personal lif ...

Stanley Onjezani Kenani Stanley Onjezani Kenani (born in 1976) is a Malawian writer of poetry and short stories.Profile
from 11t ...

Steve Chimombo Steve Bernard Miles Chimombo (4 September 1945 – 11 December 2015) was a Malawian writer, poet, editor and teacher. He was born in Zomba.Chalamanda, Fiona Johnson"Steve Chimombo" ''The Literary Encyclopedia''. First published 8 January 2001. Li ...

*Ricky.D

Journalist

Politicians

Attati Mpakati Attati Mpakati (died 24 March 1983 in Harare, Zimbabwe) was a Malawian dissident and - following the death of Yatuta Chisiza - leader of the Socialist League of Malawi (LESOMA) from 1975 until his death. He was killed by a letter bomb while in exil ...

Bakili Muluzi Elson Bakili Muluzi (born March 17, 1943 in Machinga, Nyasaland) is a Malawian politician who was the first freely elected president of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. He was also chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until 2009. He succeeded ...

Bingu wa Mutharika Bingu wa Mutharika (; born Brightson Webster Ryson Thom; 24 February 1934 – 5 April 2012) was a Malawian politician and economist who was President of Malawi from May 2004 until his death in April 2012. He was also President of the Democ ...

* Bester Bisani – former MP and chairperson of Presidential Dialog Committee * Boniface Kalindo – Malawian activist and politician *

Brown Chimphamba Brown Chimphamba is a Malawian academic, civil servant and diplomat. He is the former Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He was also the chairman of the commission which ran the 1993 referendum which ended the rule of Hastings Banda's ...

– VC, University of Malawi (1990s), current Ambassador to the United Nations *

Brown Mpinganjira Brown James Mpinganjira, popularly known as BJ is a Malawian Politician who used his 1986 detention to fight the injustices of the then one party state. He worked with others in prison and used their time to devise ways on how to change the directi ...

Chakufwa Chihana Chakufwa Chihana (23 April 1939 – 12 June 2006) was a Malawian human rights activist, pro-democracy advocate, trade unionist and later, politician. He held the post of Second Vice President in Malawi, under President Bakili Muluzi. He is often ...

David Rubadiri James David Rubadiri lukin Hendricks (19 July 1930 – 15 September 2018) was a Malawian diplomat, academic and poet, playwright and novelist. Rubadiri is ranked as one of Africa's most widely anthologized and celebrated poets to emerge after ind ...

– VC, University of Malawi (until 2005) * Davis Katsonga * Dunduzu Chisiza *

Eric Chiwaya Eric Chiwaya, a member of the United Democratic Front, is the urban governor for Blantyre, Malawi. On January 8, 2003, he was stoned by a mob which argued that the government A government is the system or group of people governing ...

George Chaponda George T. Chaponda (born 1 November 1942) is a Malawian career diplomat and politician who served as Malawi's Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development from 2016 to 2017. He is a founding member of the ruling Democratic Progress ...

Gwanda Chakuamba Gwandaguluwe "Gwanda" Chakuamba Phiri (4 April 1934 – 24 October 2016) was a Malawian politician who was the leader of the New Republican Party (NRP). He hailed from Nsanje, a district on the southern part of Malawi. Gwanda Chakuamba attended Zo ...

* Hastings Kamuzu Banda *

Henry Chipembere Henry Masauko Blasius Chipembere (5 August 1930 – 24 September 1975) was a Malawian nationalist politician who played a significant role in bringing independence from colonial rule to his native country, formerly known as Nyasaland. From an e ...

* John Zenas Ungapake Tembo – leader of opposition, Governor of Reserve Bank *

Joyce Banda Joyce Hilda Banda (née Ntila; born 12 April 1950) is a Malawian politician who was the President of Malawi from 7 April 2012 to 31 May 2014. Banda took office as President following the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. She is the ...

Kanyama Chiume Kanyama Chiume (22 November 1929 – 21 November 2007), born Murray William Kanyama Chiume, was a leading nationalist in the struggle for Malawi's independence in the 1950s and 1960s. He was also one of the leaders of the Nyasaland African Congress ...

* Krishna Savjani – Senior Counsel *

Maxwell Mkwezalamba Maxwell Mkwezalamba (born December 22, 1959) is a Malawian politician and economist. He is currently First Alternate Executive Director for Africa Group 1 Constituency, comprising 23 African countries, at the International Monetary Fund in Washing ...

– Minister, OAU * Patricia Nangozo Kainga * Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri * Yatuta Chisiza *

Zimani Kadzamira Zimani David Kadzamira (born 1 July 1941 in Harare, Zimbabwe) is a Malawian academic, civil servant and diplomat. He was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malawi until 2009. Early life and education Kadzamira was born in Salisbury, Rhode ...

– former VC, University of Malawi

Science & Technology

* Rachel Sibande (born 1986) – computer scientist *

William Kamkwamba William Kamkwamba (born August 5, 1987) is a Malawian inventor, engineer, and author. He gained renown in his country in 2001 when he built a wind turbine to power multiple electrical appliances in his family's house in Wimbe, 23 km (14 mi) ea ...

– inventor

Sports Persons

Esau Kanyenda Essau Black-Mamba Kanyenda (born 27 September 1982) is a former Malawian international footballer who played as a striker. Career Kanyenda started his career in 1998 in Malawi's First Division for FC Welfare in Dwangwa. He was spotted by Jom ...

– Malawi's best striker *

Tamika Mkandawire Tamika Paul Mkandawire (born 28 May 1983) is a former professional association football, footballer who played as a midfielder or defender (association football), defender. Born in Malawi, he made two appearances for the England C national footb ...

– football player * Tamandani Nsaliwa – football/soccer player

Writers

Drake Thadzi Drake Thadzi (born November 23, 1964, in Lilongwe) is a Malawian former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1998, twice challenging for a light heavyweight world title in 1995 and 1998. As am amateur, he competed at the 1984 Summer Olym ...

Business Men and Women

* Simbi Phiri * Shepherd Bushiri *

Edgar Chibaka Edgar is a commonly used English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Eadgar'' (composed of '' ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''gar'' "spear"). Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the later medieval period; it was, however, rev ...

Other

Cecilia Kadzamira Cecilia Tamanda Kadzamira, DCVO (born 25 June 1938) was the official hostess of Malawi during the reign of Hastings Banda. Whilst she and Banda were not officially married, she served as the first lady or official hostess for several years. For se ...

* Charles Domingo * Elliot Kamwana * Allan Ngumuya *

Hetherwick Ntaba Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba is a Malawian medical doctor and politician, and former Publicity Secretary of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Ntaba was Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less com ...

Jane Kambalame Jane Ngineriwa Kambalame is Malawi's current High Commissioner to Zimbabwe and Botswana. Prior to this appointment she served in the Malawi mission to the United States of America and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Malawi. Career Ms. Kambalame obta ...

– Ambassador to Zimbabwe *

Justin Malewezi Justin Chimera Malewezi (23 December 1943 – 17 April 2021) was a Malawian politician and a Member of Parliament for Ntchisi North in the Central Region of Malawi. He was Vice-President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. Malewezi quit the United Demo ...

* Orton Chirwa * Vera Chirwa *

* Mike Kanyundo – researcher

References

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