Nkhata Bay or just Nkhata is the capital of the
Nkhata Bay District
Nkhata Bay is a district in the Northern Region of Malawi. The capital is Nkhata Bay. The district covers an area of 4,071 km.² and has a population of 164,761.
Lake Malawi bounds the district on the east. The western portion of the distri ...
in Malawi. It is on the shore of
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.
It is the fifth largest fre ...
(formerly Lake Nyasa), east of
Mzuzu
Mzuzu is the capital of Malawi's Northern Region and is the third largest city by population in Malawi. The city has 221,272 residents and 20,000 commuters (Mzuzu University students) with about 1.7 million people in its metropolitan area. It i ...
, and is one of the main ports on Lake Malawi.
The population of Nkhata Bay was 14,274 according to the 2018 census.
Nkhata Bay is from
Lilongwe
Lilongwe (, , ) is the capital and most populated city of the African country of Malawi. It has a population of 989,318 as of the 2018 Census, up from a population of 674,448 in 2008. In 2020 that figure was 1,122,000. The city is located in th ...
, Malawi's capital city, and from
Blantyre
Blantyre () is Malawi's centre of finance and commerce, and its second largest city, with an enumerated 800,264 inhabitants . It is sometimes referred to as the commercial and industrial capital of Malawi as opposed to the political capital, L ...
, Malawi's second-largest city.
Nkhata Bay is the second "busiest resort" on Lake Malawi.
[ ]
History
The ancestors of Nkhata Bay residents were the Tonga (Lakeside Tonga). In the 19th century the area suffered frequent attacks from the
Ngoni people
The Ngoni people are an ethnic group living in the present-day Southern African countries of Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. The Ngoni trace their origins to the Nguni and Zulu people of kwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The di ...
, who fled north to escape the rule of the
Zulu king
Shaka
Shaka kaSenzangakhona ( – 22 September 1828), also known as Shaka Zulu () and Sigidi kaSenzangakhona, was the king of the Zulu Kingdom from 1816 to 1828. One of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu, he ordered wide-reaching reforms that ...
, in South Africa.
Demographics
Language
Chichewa is the preferred language in hospitals, churches, radio and newspapers in Nkhata Bay, although
Chitumbuka
The Tumbuka language is a Bantu language which is spoken in the Northern Region of Malawi and Zambia in the districts of Lundazi, Lumezi, and Chasefu.[Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...]( ...<br></span></div> is the main language spoken in the Northern Region. <div class=)
is the main language spoken in Nkhata Bay's schools; Tonga is used approximately 92% of the time.
Economy
Nkhata Bay is dependent on fish.
Farming, especially
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...
, is the main occupation in the area.
Rubber plantations also exist at Nkhata Bay.
In May 2008, the Lweya irrigation scheme in Nkhata Bay was "rehabilitated".
Income from tourism is a major source of income to the Nkhata Bay community.
Damage to crops
In April 2002, over of "corn, rice, nuts and cassava" were washed away at Nkhata Bay after heavy rain, causing a worsening of food shortages.
In March 2006, Nkhata Bay received over 300 bags of maize from the
Feed the Nation Fund
Feed or The Feed may refer to:
Animal foodstuffs
* Animal feed, food given to domestic animals in the course of animal husbandry
** Fodder, foodstuffs manufactured for animal consumption
** Forage, foodstuffs that animals gather themselves, su ...
, because the area was suffering from food shortages.
There were heavy rains in April 2006, causing further damage to Nkhata Bay.
Malawi's former minister of agriculture, Uladi Mussa Monday, stated in May 2008 that due to heavy rain and flooding, crops in Nkhata Bay had washed away; he said this would cause an "acute food shortage".
Climate
Transport
![the ilala](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/The_ilala.jpg)
Nkhata Bay is a port visited by the
MV Ilala
MV ''Ilala'', formally ''Ilala II'', is a motor ship that has plied Lake Malawi in East Africa since 1951. Every week she crosses the lake all the way north to Chilumba, Malawi, near Tanzania (about from Monkey Bay) and then returns to Monkey ...
steamship, a boat which travels up
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.
It is the fifth largest fre ...
from Monkey Bay in southern Malawi, to Chilumba in the north, via
Likoma Island and
Chizumulu Chizumulu Island is the smaller of two islands in Lake Malawi, the larger being the nearby Likoma island, which together make up the Likoma District. Both these islands lie just a few kilometres from Mozambique and are entirely surrounded by Moza ...
. In July 2006, plans were announced to "rehabilitate" Nkhata Bay port, and to re-establish a ferry service between Nkhata Bay and
Mbamba Bay
Mbamba Bay is a town in western Tanzania, lying on the eastern shore of Lake Malawi/Lake Nyasa.
Port
Mbamba Bay has an indentation in the otherwise straight profile of the lake and may be a potential port.
Transport
In October 2007, it was ...
in Tanzania.
This route is currently serviced by motorised
dhow
Dhow ( ar, داو, translit=dāwa; mr, script=Latn, dāw) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically spor ...
.
There are regular minibuses that travel from Nkhata Bay to
Mzuzu
Mzuzu is the capital of Malawi's Northern Region and is the third largest city by population in Malawi. The city has 221,272 residents and 20,000 commuters (Mzuzu University students) with about 1.7 million people in its metropolitan area. It i ...
,
Chintheche
Chintheche is a settlement in the Nkhata Bay District of the Northern Region of Malawi. It is on the shore of Lake Malawi, and is approximately south of Nkhata Bay. The town is close to the main road between Nkhata Bay and Nkhotakota.
Hist ...
,
Nkhotakota
Nkhotakota (Un-kho-tah-kho-tuh) (formerly Kota Kota) (name derived from the Chichewa for "Corner Corner") is a town and one of the districts in the Central Region, Malawi, Central Region of Malawi. It is on the shore of Lake Malawi (formerly Lak ...
and
Salima.
Express buses to
Blantyre
Blantyre () is Malawi's centre of finance and commerce, and its second largest city, with an enumerated 800,264 inhabitants . It is sometimes referred to as the commercial and industrial capital of Malawi as opposed to the political capital, L ...
,
Mzuzu
Mzuzu is the capital of Malawi's Northern Region and is the third largest city by population in Malawi. The city has 221,272 residents and 20,000 commuters (Mzuzu University students) with about 1.7 million people in its metropolitan area. It i ...
and
Karonga
Karonga is a township in the Karonga District in Northern Region of Malawi. Located on the western shore of Lake Nyasa, it was established as a slaving centre sometime before 1877. As of 2018 estimates, Karonga has a population of 61,609.
Hi ...
depart from the police road block, 3 km from the town.
In June 2008, it was announced that the
African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies i ...
(ADB) would fund the reconstruction of the road from Nkhata Bay to Mzuzu.
As of 20 June 2008, it is expected that the ADB will partly fund the reconstruction.
Sport
Nkhata Bay's local football team are the Nkhata Bay Police; the team were renamed to
Eagle Strikers and now play in
Mzuzu
Mzuzu is the capital of Malawi's Northern Region and is the third largest city by population in Malawi. The city has 221,272 residents and 20,000 commuters (Mzuzu University students) with about 1.7 million people in its metropolitan area. It i ...
. The team play in the
TNM Super League
Super League of Malawi, also known as the TNM Super League for sponsorship reasons, is the top football division in Malawi. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Malawi Regional Football Leagues.
Mal ...
.
There is a ladies' football team in Nkhata Bay, and are called the Nkhata Bay United Sisters of Malawi. The club was founded in 2003.
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...
is also played in Nkhata Bay. In June 2008, the champions of Nkhata Bay were Kawalazi, and received a prize of 30,000 Malawian Kwacha.
Each summer there is a multi-day yacht race which starts at
Cape Maclear
Cape Maclear or Chembe is a town in the Mangochi District of Malawi's Southern Region. The town, on the Nankumba Peninsula, is on the southern shore of Lake Malawi and is the busiest resort on Lake Malawi. Cape Maclear is close to the island ...
in the south, and ends at Nkhata Bay.
Politics
The Member of the Malawian Parliament for Nkhata Bay North is Ephraim Mganda Chiume.
The MP for Nkhata Bay Central is Symon Vuwa Kaunda.
The MP for Nkhata Bay South West is Silvester Kasambara, a member of the opposition.
Kasambara caused a storm in Parliament in June 2008 when he pledged 10,000
Malawian kwacha
The kwacha (; ISO 4217: MWK, official name Malawi Kwacha) is the currency of Malawi as of 1971, replacing the Malawian pound. It is divided into 100 tambala. The kwacha replaced other types of currency, namely the British pound sterling, the So ...
to the
Malawi national football team
The Malawi national football team, nicknamed ''The Flames'', represents Malawi in international football and is controlled by the Football Association of Malawi. Before 1966, they were known as the Nyasaland national football team.
They have q ...
, after their 1–0 victory against Egypt, the African champions, in a FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifier.
Facilities
Amenities
There are bars, restaurants, two grocery stores, a bus station, tailor shops, a taxi rank and a market in Nkhata Bay. There are four banks, NBS, FNB, Malawi Savings and Opportunity Bank, as of early 2013 the
automated teller machine
An automated teller machine (ATM) or cash machine (in British English) is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform financial transactions, such as cash withdrawals, deposits, fun ...
will allow withdrawals using most foreign credit or debit cards in the two banks on the top of the hill, NBS and FNB. There is internet access in a few internet cafes, Nkhata Bay Communications Center, Jessie's and others. And free access to internet at Butterfly lodge in South Bay. There are public telephones.
The District offices are in town and there is a post office. You can pay your ESCOM bill in town, and Water Board bill at the top of the hill.
Law and order
Nkhata Bay has a police station.
Robberies of tourists have occurred at Nkhata Bay, but are rare.
Medical
There is a hospital in Nkhata Bay, and in October 2006 it received a donation from the
National Bank of Malawi
National Bank of Malawi (NBM), is a commercial bank in Malawi. The bank is one of the commercial banks licensed by the Reserve Bank of Malawi, the central bank and national banking regulator.
Location
The headquarters and main office of the Nati ...
.
''
AllAfrica
AllAfrica is a website that aggregates news produced primarily on the African continent about all areas of African life, politics, issues and culture. It is available in both English and French and produced by AllAfrica Global Media, which has of ...
'' have reported that parts of the Nkhata Bay area are not receiving appropriate AIDS treatment.
Tourism
Nkhata Bay is described by
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embarked ...
as "Caribbeanesque" and a "lush tropical indent".
There are several guesthouses and lodges for tourists in Nkhata Bay.
In February 2005, the Malawian government announced plans to build ecolodges as a way of increasing
ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...
in the Nkhata Bay area.
The diving school in Nkhata Bay offers the "cheapest diving course in the world" according to ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
''.
Nkhata Bay tourism has a long history. It has been part of the overland backpackers route between east Africa and cape town but the number of backpackers have dropped considerably in recent years. Political issues in Zimbabwe has revised the overland backpacking route so that many people now go through Zambia or the Mozambique coast. The Heart Hotel was a local owned establishment in the local village where very low budget backpackers could get a room and breakfast for well under one US dollar. Nkhata Bay became a place where people could rest on a long trip and spend very little money. With the opening of Njajay Lodge the scene changed a little. The town along with backpackers culture shifted to catering to a traveller with more money to spend. While the village now has many places to stay the problem has become attracting people who now often travel through other countries or easier accessed beaches in Malawi. Another shift that has reduced the amount of foreign visitors to Nkhata Bay is the increasing number of people travelling Africa by overland truck rather than independent backpackers travel. Overland trucks do not come to Nkhata Bay but instead, choose the beaches on Chinteche to the south. As a result, many of the local artists have moved their craft stalls to the Nkhata Bay/Chinteche road junction. This along with huge increases in international parcel rates from Malawi have made it increasingly difficult for the talented local artist to make a living. Many artists now set up stalls directly outside of overland truck camps around Malawi understanding that backpackers can no longer afford to send famous Malawi chief chairs and masks home.
Notable events
Marriage
In March 2000, 73-year-old man from Nkhata and a 22-year-old woman married, in what ''
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
'' reported as "Malawi's surprise wedding of the year"
Crocodile attack
In December 2002, a businessman, Mac Bosco Chawinga, was dragged in to
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.
It is the fifth largest fre ...
at Nkhata Bay by a
crocodile
Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...
; Chawinga managed to escape by biting the crocodile on the nose. The crocodile then released him, and Chawinga managed to return to the shore, although he had received severe injuries to his legs and arms. ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' reported that, according to "wildlife experts", Chawinga is the first person to survive after "using such an audacious tactic".
Capsized boat
On 9 May 2004, the then-Tourism, Parks and Wildlife Minister Wallace Chiume survived when a boat capsized in Nkhata Bay. At least six other people drowned in the accident.
One of the dead passengers was a child. The boat was being used for campaigning in the Malawian election. Strong winds were blamed for the accident which happened from the shore of Lake Malawi.
[ ] 40 people were on the boat at the time.
[ ]
Organizations
In 2006, the Nkhata Bay AIDS Support Organization was created in Malawi and later registered in the state of Wisconsin as a non-profit corporation. The American-Malawian partnership has led to great success in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Nkhata Bay District. Over six outreach clinics were established in the past two years, leading to a 23% drop in positive HIV testing results. The charity operates on a small budget coming from local Wisconsin donors.
References
{{reflist, 3
Populated places in Northern Region, Malawi
Lake Malawi
Malawi–Tanzania border crossings