Germany has had a mission in Malawi since February 1964 (an Embassy since September 1964). Development cooperation is alongside political dialogue an important pillar of bilateral relations. Germany is one of the most important partners of Malawi, which ranks 172 of 193 states on the United Nations Development index. Over half of the approx. 21 million inhabitants live below the national poverty line and around 75% of the population live below the international poverty line.

Then‑President Chakwera visited Germany in August 2024. This was the first official visit of a Malawian Head of State since 2010. Then‑Foreign Minister Nancy Tembo, visited Germany in April 2023. She took part in the Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin in May 2025.

German bilateral cooperation with Malawi focuses on poverty reduction, healthcare including family planning, climate mitigation, social security and the development of the private sector in rural areas. Important cross-cutting issues include public finance management and gender equality. The most recent intergovernmental consultations took place in December 2025 in Bonn, when Germany pledged 68.8 million euro for Malawi in bilateral funds.

In the sphere of education, Germany provided support to Malawi for training teaching staff, building schools and providing school meals to improve pupils’ participation in lessons at primary schools. German is taught as a foreign language at a school in Malawi.

There is little in the way of German direct investment in Malawi. German trade with Malawi is poorly developed and largely dependent on crop yields and price developments for raw tobacco and sugar. Malawi’s prime imports from Germany include electrical appliances, vehicles and machines.

A city twinning partnership has been in place between Hanover and Blantyre since 1968.