Moving to Zimbabwe from Malawi
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Malawi to Zimbabwe — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Malawi to Zimbabwe.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Malawi to Zimbabwe, based on official data.
Who's moving to Zimbabwe?
Top countries of origin for Zimbabwe's foreign-born residents.
- 122,923
-
2.108,491
Malawi
- 31,692
- 19,731
- 12,705
- 3,865
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Malawi to Zimbabwe.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Malawi performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Zimbabwe generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malawi leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Malawi performs better than Zimbabwe across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
Malawi generally does better on infrastructure, though Zimbabwe leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Malawi generally does better on employment & economy, though Zimbabwe leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Zimbabwe generally does better on family life, though Malawi leads in life expectancy.
Data: Malawi Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lilongwe | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 78°/61°F (25°/16°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/53°F (22°/11°C) | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/45°F (22°/7°C) | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 80°/57°F (27°/14°C) | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lilongwe | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.1°C) | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) |
| Feb | 78°/62°F (25.6°/16.5°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) |
| Mar | 77°/61°F (24.8°/16.0°C) | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) |
| Apr | 74°/59°F (23.5°/14.9°C) | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) |
| May | 72°/53°F (22.1°/11.6°C) | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) |
| Jun | 69°/46°F (20.4°/7.9°C) | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) |
| Jul | 69°/44°F (20.3°/6.5°C) | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 71°/44°F (21.9°/6.6°C) | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) |
| Sep | 77°/48°F (25.1°/8.7°C) | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 81°/53°F (27.2°/11.7°C) | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 81°/58°F (27.2°/14.2°C) | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) |
| Dec | 79°/61°F (26.1°/15.9°C) | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services,
Meteorological Services Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malawi and Zimbabwe. To live, work, or study long-term in Zimbabwe, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zimbabwe's immigration authority.
Malawi passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa Free
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Malawi
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Zimbabwe?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Zimbabwe has 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Zimbabwe safe for expats?
Malawi performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zimbabwe is 6.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.8 in Malawi.
How is healthcare in Zimbabwe compared to Malawi?
Zimbabwe generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Malawi leads in suicide rate. There are 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Zimbabwe, compared to 0.5 in Malawi. Zimbabwe scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malawi: 48).
What's the weather like in Zimbabwe compared to Malawi?
The average high temperature in Harare is 78°F, compared to 75°F in Lilongwe. Harare receives around 33.1 in of rainfall per year, while Lilongwe gets 50.7 in.
What language do they speak in Zimbabwe?
The official languages in Zimbabwe are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. In Malawi, the official languages are Chewa and English.
Compare further: Malawi vs. Zimbabwe
More relocation comparisons
At a Glance
MW
|
ZW
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,794,353 | 15,121,004 |
| Currency | Malawian Kwacha (MWK) | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) |
| Languages | Chewa, English | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language |
| Driving side | Left | Left |
| Calling code | +265 | +263 |
| Time zones | 1 | 1 |
| Emergency number | — | 999 |