Little evidence of Malawian middle class beyond confines of expat community

[steve sharra]

[Got this from Jimmy Kainja's FB wall. M'lauzi]

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/africa/little-evidence-of-malawian-middle-class-beyond-confines-of-expat-community-1.1647337?page=2

Little evidence of Malawian middle class beyond confines of expat community

Bill Corcoran

Last Updated: Wednesday, January 8, 2014, 06:49

Lilongwe, the Malawian capital, is still waiting for its middle class to emerge.

Home to the halls of political and administrative power, it has the
type of urban development one would expect a modern African city of
nearly one million inhabitants to have.

There are hotels, banks, restaurants, bars and shopping centres to be
found across both the old and new parts of the metropolis. But it
seems like the expats working in the development sector frequent these
establishments far more than middle-class Malawians.

The type of entertainment venues one would also associate with the
middle classes, such as the theatre and cinema, are also few and far
between, if they exist at all in Malawi’s first city.

I visited Lilongwe’s Madsoc Theatre on the first night of my stay – a
Thursday – to see a locally produced, politically charged play called
Eye of the Tiger, but only seven expats and the Zimbabwean ambassador
to Malawi turned up to be entertained.


No cinemas
As for going to the movies – a most middle-class pursuit – there is
not even one cinema in Lilongwe.

Indeed, such is the dearth of an obvious Malawian middle class in the
city that a Chinese-built hotel and residential housing compound
designed to accommodate these upwardly mobile members of society
remain empty and unused.

Malawi is one of Africa’s poorest countries, and 40 per cent of the
national budget is usually provided by donor aid. The government faces
numerous challenges, from building and expanding the economy to
improving education and healthcare, and ensuring environmental
protection.

While there is no data produced locally in relation to the middle
class, the state’s most recent welfare monitoring survey shows its
population of more than 15 million people is primarily rural and poor.
The majority of those in the three main cities – the other two being
Blantyre and Mzuzu – are to be found largely in the hinterland.

About 86 per cent of all employed people work for themselves in
agriculture, forestry and fishing, states the survey.

Malawians who work in the cities, where the middle classes are more
likely to be found, are primarily engaged in local government,
wholesale and retail marketing, social and community services,
construction, transport, finance and business.

Joyce Namasasu (51), a general manager with a development company in
Lilongwe, says that Malawi’s middle class is very small. “Here you
have the very rich, the poor and the very poor, and most people are in
the latter two groups,” she said.

Namasasu is a Malawian who could be considered middle class – she is
well-educated and has several sources of income derived from property,
farming and business enterprises – although she reacts uncomfortably
to the suggestion she fits this profile.


Educational deficit
When asked why there are not more middle-class people in Malawi, she
responds she has been lucky when it comes to the education she
received and the opportunities that followed.

“There is a tendency among Malawians to wait for the government to do
everything for us, and this attitude comes from a lack of education.
If I did not go to a good school I might not have done so well.

“Most people go to school, but to get a good education you have to dig
deeper into your pockets. Most middle-class Malawians are just clever
people. Entrepreneurs who see the opportunities that are out there,”
she says.

Namasasu thinks that to create a proper Malawian middle class the
government needs to change the school curriculum so it includes
subjects that will empower people, as not everyone can go to
university.

“There needs to be technical subjects, like carpentry and
entrepreneurial skills other than the usual, like maths, history and
English. Most government schools don’t offer these practical skills,”
she says.

Mia Stuart, a 29 year-old Malawian businesswoman who grew up in Kenya
before returning home, says that middle-class people based in Lilongwe
tend to socialise in Blantyre, which is three hours away, rather than
in their home town.


Drift to Blantyre
“Lilongwe is where the expatriate community lives, as all the
diplomatic missions, development agencies and government departments
are based there. Myself and my friends go to Blantyre to have a good
time; it is more Malawian.”

In terms of what she and her friends spend their income on, Stuart
says they tend to save up and travel abroad to shop and eat at
restaurants, as the local quality of goods and entertainment is poor.
The education of her children is also a constant preoccupation for
her.

“People prefer to go to South Africa or east Africa and spend their
money there if they can afford to. The same can said for education.
Good local schools in Malawi are extremely expensive – it can cost
$1,000 a term to send your child to pre-school.

“Secondary education and university here is also very expensive, but
you can send your child to university in east Africa for $800 a term.
It is much cheaper and the standard is very good. ”

This series was supported with a grant from the Simon Cumbers Media Fund


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[Roy Hauya]

all

 

largely true. certainly the cost of good education

 

roy

 

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[Hope Msosa]

Steve,

 

Thanks for sharing. There is some truth in the article. But largely I fault it on not having provided the definition of what constitutes a 'middle class' - whether it be in socio-economic terms. I agree that we have a very small middle class. I recall reading a report by the African Development Bank (2011) which estimated that the middle class in the country constitute about 9% of the population - middle class defined as those with per capita daily consumption of between $2 and $20. Within the middle class blacket, the unfortunate aspect is that we have a huge 'floating class' - about 5% - that which can slide back and has per capita daily consumption of about $2-$4. Also we rank lowest in the region - though the gap isnt that huge with neighbouring countries.

 

Also patterns of socialization/consumption patters differ (you may not just call it on cinemas): I personally observe a growing trend of socializing in sports pubs to watch foreign soccer leagues during weekends amongst the middle class ...just as an example.

 

Just my thoughts....

 

Hope Msosa

 

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[Jonathan Makuwira]

Hope,

I do agree with you on the problematic of definition of 'middle class'. Just to add to what you have eloquently said, let me examine this statement, from Bill Corcoran: "Indeed, such is the dearth of an obvious Malawian middle class in the city that a Chinese-built hotel and residential housing compound designed to accommodate these upwardly mobile members of society remain empty and unused".

First, the concept (middle class) is very alien to our context. Contrary to what Africans and Africa (cautiously though) is know for ... social capital, kinship, extended family system, etc, the terms 'class' and indeed, 'middle class', are very divisive. This is why because of this misunderstanding and their misapplication, there are these structures (5-star hotels, cinemas, "Chinese-built residential housing compounds etc), hoped to cater for the so-called middle class - defined in economic terms and, hopefully, expected to 'behave' like 'them'. Unfortunately, the middle class Malawian, while he/she exists, a cinema is not a priority. This Malawian (African) middle class' definition of middle class is totally different from that of the western orientation. The article by Bill reminds us of how 'we' (Africans) have been, and continue to be, defined variously from the western orientation. "Lilongwe, the Malawian capital,....has the type of urban development one would expect a modern African city of nearly one million inhabitants to have (middle class)". The point is, there is no dearth of a middle class in Lilongwe. There is, but it behaves differently from that of the west. Beyond that, should there be a distinct middle class? Probably we should be talking about a city with nearly a million people who are  'happy' and enjoy life to the fullest...in whatever way they want to define it, that is what matters. 

Jonathan