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SALIMA

UTM District Manifesto 2025 | SALIMA DISTRICT

“Salima Rising: Gateway to the Lake, Powering Malawi’s Blue and Agro-Tourism Economy.”

“From Sun, Sand, and Soil — to Jobs, Prosperity, and Purpose.”
— Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, UTM Presidential Candidate 2025

Vision for Salima: Malawi’s Lakeshore Gateway of Growth

Strategically positioned on the western shore of Lake Malawi, Salima is poised to become Malawi’s most integrated tourism, aquaculture, and logistics corridor. With its proximity to Lilongwe, expansive lakefront, rich agricultural hinterland, and gateway status via Senga Bay and Chipoka Port — Salima can be transformed into a model of job creation, economic diversification, and sustainable coastal development.

Under UTM, Salima will be elevated into:

  • A blue economy and aquaculture leader
  • A lakeside tourism powerhouse
  • A smart logistics and rail-port hub
  • A mega farm and agro-industrial export zone
  • A leading district for cotton and industrial hemp production

Mega Farms & Agro-Processing

Context & Challenges: Salima has fertile soils and vast plains, but productivity remains low due to limited irrigation, lack of value addition, and poor linkages to export markets.

UTM Pledges
Locations: Chipoka, Lifuwu, Kalonga

  • 10,000 hectares of irrigated farming: maize, rice, soya, bananas, sugarcane, cotton, industrial hemp
  • Solar and stream-fed irrigation systems
  • Agro-processing hubs: rice milling (Lifuwu), oil pressing (Kalonga), banana drying (Chipoka)
  • New value chains: cotton ginning and hemp fibre processing for textiles and eco-materials
  • Export-grade packaging and certification centers for SADC markets

Investment: MWK 130 Billion
Jobs: 8,000
Output: 350,000 MT produce/year
Impact: Food security, agro-exports, cooperative profits, textile industry linkages

Aquaculture & Blue Economy

Context & Challenges: Despite its location on Lake Malawi, Salima lacks organized fish farming and cold chain systems for both local and export markets.

UTM Pledges
Sites: Chipoka Bay, Senga Bay, Lifuwu Peninsula

  • 25 fish cage farms and 10 inland pond clusters with hatcheries
  • Cold storage & processing hub at Chipoka
  • Women-led cooperatives for drying and canning
  • Solar-powered boats and pilot seaweed farms for global wellness markets

Investment: MWK 50 Billion
Jobs: 6,000
Output: 30,000 MT fish/year
Impact: Fish import substitution, youth/women empowerment, regional aquaculture hub

Tourism, Culture & Recreation

Context & Challenges: Salima is the most accessible lakefront district from Lilongwe but remains underdeveloped as a cohesive, premium tourism destination.

UTM Pledges
Anchors: Senga Bay, Lake Malawi Islands, Kuti Reserve, Lifuwu, Chipoka

  • Promenade, Artisan Hub, and Amphitheatre at Senga Bay
  • Eco-lodges and youth-led conservation on select islands
  • Boat cruises, sailing circuits, traditional dhow replicas
  • Salima Beach and Cultural Food Festivals
  • Wildlife upgrades at Kuti Reserve
  • Maritime Museum & lighthouse cafe at Chipoka
  • Lifuwu eco-tourism zone and domestic camping sites

Investment: MWK 60 Billion
Jobs Created: 6,000
Tourists Target: 120,000/year
Revenue Projection: MWK 30 Billion/year

Impact: Malawi’s flagship lake tourism zone, sustainable eco-tourism, youth cultural enterprise

Chipoka Smart Secondary City, Port & Marina

Context & Challenges: Chipoka has untapped potential to serve as a logistics and tourism hub but remains poorly planned and under-resourced.

UTM Pledges

  • Designate Chipoka as Smart Secondary City
  • Build 2,000 smart homes with integrated trade units
  • Upgrade Chipoka Port: cargo, cold storage, digital systems
  • Marina with yacht docking, cruises, lakefront cafes
  • Integrated transport node (bus, port, ferry, rail)

Investment: MWK 100 Billion
Jobs: 7,000
Output: Doubled port capacity, 50,000 marina visitors
Impact: Lakefront city status, revived lake trade, SME growth

Smart Housing & Civic Planning

Context & Challenges: Salima’s towns lack proper housing, civic services, and public infrastructure.

UTM Pledges
Locations: Chipoka, Salima Boma, Lifuwu

  • 3,000 smart homes with solar, sanitation, water
  • SME zones in estates
  • Upgrade Salima Boma with smart lighting and Wi-Fi
  • Build new Civic Centre with digital services and land registry

Investment: MWK 50 Billion
Jobs: 3,000
Impact: Dignified housing, smarter towns, e-governance access

Health, Education & Vocational Skills

UTM Pledges
Sites: Salima Hospital, Chipoka College, Rural Health Centres

  • Expand Salima Hospital with Emergency Wing and Maternity Theatre
  • Solar-powered rural clinics with labs
  • Expand Chipoka College: aquaculture, tourism, solar, boat tech
  • Girls’ boarding school and digital library

Investment: MWK 30 Billion
Jobs: 2,500
Impact: 3,000 skilled youth/year, improved public health

Mineral Development & Local Quarrying

Context & Challenges: Quarrying remains informal and unregulated despite growing demand for inputs in construction and tourism infrastructure.

UTM Pledges
Sites: Lifuwu Uplands, Chipoka Hills

  • Formalize quarrying and train 1,000 youth in stone works
  • Develop quarry cooperatives and value addition
  • Link stone products to housing and resort construction

Investment: MWK 15 Billion
Jobs: 1,500
Impact: Affordable local materials, youth industry inclusion

Environment, Reforestation & Irrigation

Context & Challenges: Quarrying remains informal and unregulated despite growing demand for inputs in construction and tourism infrastructure.

UTM Pledges
Sites: Lifuwu Uplands, Chipoka Hills

  • Formalize quarrying and train 1,000 youth in stone works
  • Develop quarry cooperatives and value addition
  • Link stone products to housing and resort construction

Investment: MWK 15 Billion
Jobs: 1,500
Impact: Affordable local materials, youth industry inclusion

MWK 500 Billion Salima District Development Fund

Administered by: Salima District Development Agency (SDDA)

Structure & Oversight:

  • MWK 100 Billion/year (2025–2030)
  • Managed by independent SDDA with public dashboard
  • Oversight by traditional leaders, CSOs, youth, SMEs
  • Monthly town halls and annual scorecards

Annual Implementation Focus:

  • Mega farms, aquaculture, tourism
  • Smart housing and urban services
  • SME finance and youth skilling
  • Fibre optic, energy, and irrigation infrastructure

Projected Results by 2030:

  • 45,000+ jobs
  • 4,000 SMEs formalized
  • Tripled district GDP
  • 80% local procurement, 30% youth quota on projects

MWK 500 Billion Salima District Development Fund

Sector Investment (MWK) Jobs Created Key Outputs / Benefits
Mega Farms & Agro-Processing 130 Billion 8,000 350,000 MT/year, food security, exports
Aquaculture & Blue Economy 50 Billion 6,000 30,000 MT/year fish, import substitution
Tourism & Recreation 60 Billion 6,000 120,000 visitors, MWK 30B/year tourism revenue
Chipoka Smart City & Marina 100 Billion 7,000 Port capacity doubled, 50,000 marina visitors
Smart Housing & Urban Planning 50 Billion 3,000 3,000 homes, Salima Boma modernization
Health, Education & Vocational Skills 30 Billion 2,500 3,000 skilled youth/year, improved healthcare
Mineral Development & Quarrying 15 Billion 1,500 Local construction inputs, youth SME cooperatives
Environment & Irrigation 15 Billion 1,200 Green buffer, 500 drip kits, reforestation
District Development Fund 500 Billion 11,000 Localised delivery, accountability, inclusive jobs
TOTAL 950 Billion 45,200 Lake tourism hub, food security, smart economy

Tsogolo Lathu Lowala Lafika!

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