A 27-hectare greenhouse operation near Kamuzu International Airport has reached full production capacity, positioning itself as a key driver of Malawi’s strategy to expand agricultural exports and curb foreign exchange flight from fresh produce imports.
The facility, operated by GBI Greenhouse Limited (GGL) a joint venture between global firm Inosselia Commercial and the Malawian government’s Greenbelt Authority represents the country’s largest commercial greenhouse enterprise. Running 16 single-hectare, climate-controlled greenhouses at full capacity, the operation monthly yields over 20 tonnes of tomatoes, 10 tonnes of bell peppers, and 24,000 units each of watermelons and butternut squash year-round for domestic retail, wholesale, and export markets.
Originally conceived in 2018 under a public-private partnership model, the venture operates via an automated, computerised fertigation system backed by 10 deep-borehole water sources, cold-storage units, a centralized packhouse, and an on-site training center. The enterprise currently employs 130 local staff under an all-Malawian management team.
The joint venture aims to scale local supply chains to reduce reliance on fresh produce imports from regional neighbors while generating hard-currency revenue through cross-border trade.
“This is indeed the biggest project of its kind in the region,” said Greenbelt Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr. Henrie Njoloma. “This is a once-off project that brings everybody to an international platform of standards, which is a major structural shift for Malawi’s agricultural landscape.”
Management expects the operational success of the facility to establish a scalable framework for public-private capital deployment in East African commercial agriculture.
