Need cash when I land, best place in Malawi? Airport or places in the city?
If you need cash in Malawi, go with Visa cards at National Bank or Standard Bank ATMs in the city. Don’t count on the airport - exchange a little for taxis, but proper withdrawals and exchanges are best in Lilongwe or Blantyre. Always bring some USD cash as backup; it exchanges easily. Mastercard is unreliable, so always carry a Visa.
My Revolut Mastercard got rejected at both ATMs in Blantyre Airport. The airport exchange counter was open but gave me an awful rate for USD. I had to wait until I got into the city, where Standard Bank finally worked. Machines also sometimes run out of cash, which makes it stressful. If you’re heading to rural areas, definitely stock up in the city, because ATMs outside Blantyre or Lilongwe are rare.
I landed in Lilongwe, took out MK 60,000 from a National Bank ATM with my Wise Visa, and it worked first try. Later I used a bureau in Old Town to exchange USD at a very decent rate. A backpacker I met at Mabuya Camp also said Standard Bank near Lilongwe City Mall worked fine with Monzo Visa. Airport counters are fine for emergency taxi money, but city options are much better.
At Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe and Chileka Airport in Blantyre, there are small exchange counters, but the rates are poor. Better to withdraw from ATMs in the city. National Bank of Malawi and Standard Bank Malawi are the most reliable for Visa cards. Mastercard often fails. Exchange bureaus in Lilongwe near Old Town Mall or Blantyre’s Chichiri Mall give better rates than the airport.