Malawi Bureau of Standards Accreditation

Modernising Malawi's testing and certification so exporters can meet international quality standards at home, not abroad.

Period: 2020 - 2024
Countries: Malawi
Funder: UK Government (FCDO)
Implementing partners: The initiative was delivered through a multi-donor, multi-stakeholder partnership:
Participants: Primary beneficiaries include exporters and processors in Malawi’s high-value agricultural value chains, notably macadamia and mango, as well as groundnuts, soybeans, and honey.

Key figures

40%

Lower testing costs

17→7

Days to certify

35+

Export standards developed

Testing scopes accredited

Project rationale

Malawi’s agricultural exports, particularly macadamia and mango, face stringent international quality and safety requirements that must be met to secure market entry and sustain competitiveness. However, for years, exporters have relied on costly and time-consuming testing services outside the country due to limited local capacity, outdated laboratory equipment, and historical concerns over accuracy and timeliness of results from the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS). These constraints have contributed to shipment delays, increased certification costs, and, in some cases, rejection of consignments in key export markets. Addressing these challenges is critical to unlocking Malawi’s export potential, enhancing foreign exchange earnings, and positioning the country as a trusted supplier of high-quality agricultural products.

Project Value

The modernisation of MBS’s testing and certification capabilities represents a transformative step for Malawi’s export environment. With ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation now in place, covering critical testing areas such as mycotoxins, pesticide residues, heavy metals, and microbiology, exporters can access internationally recognised certification services locally. This is expected to reduce turnaround times from an average of 17 days to approximately seven, cut testing costs by up to 40% compared to regional laboratories, and significantly improve market access by aligning with the requirements of the markets in European Union, United States, China, SADC and African markets. The initiative directly supports Malawi’s economic diversification and trade growth objectives.

Implementation Partners

The initiative was delivered through a multi-donor, multi-stakeholder partnership:

UK Government (FCDO), through TradeMark Africa (TMA) under the Malawi Trade and Investment Project (MTIP), provided technical and financial support for laboratory modernisation and accreditation.
European Union, through the Standards, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology (SQAM) programme, contributed to quality infrastructure strengthening.
World Bank, through the Agricultural Commercialisation Project (AGCOM) and the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP), supported complementary investments in standards development and testing capacity
Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS) – provided accreditation oversight.

Implementation strategy

The strategy focused on a comprehensive upgrade of MBS’s conformity assessment systems. Key interventions included:

Procurement of state-of-the-art laboratory equipment such as Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) and Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS).
Capacity building for MBS staff to meet international testing and certification standards.
Development of more than 35 national and crop-specific export standards in priority value chains including macadamia, mango, groundnuts, soybeans, and honey.
Support to secure ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation through the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS).
The approach was designed to address both technical capacity and exporter confidence, ensuring that improved systems translated into increased uptake of local services.

Expected outcomes

Enhanced market access for Malawian agricultural exports through compliance with international quality and safety standards.
Reduced certification costs by up to 40% and turnaround times from an average of 17 days to approx. seven
Increased exporter confidence in MBS’s capabilities, leading to higher utilisation of domestic testing services.
Growth in foreign exchange earnings from strengthened competitiveness in global markets for macadamia, mango, and other priority value chains.
Sustainable SPS compliance capacity, with over 44 testing scopes fully accredited and 106 more in progress.
Expanding the market access for target value chains by aligning with the requirements of the markets in European Union, United States, China, SADC and African markets.