Students struggling to find decent accommodation and Malawi’s growing tourism sector could soon benefit from new investments as Malawi Property Investment Company (MPICO) moves to expand beyond traditional property rentals.
MPICO says it is diversifying into student accommodation and hospitality projects as part of efforts to sustain strong profit growth and reduce dependence on government tenants.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement meeting in Blantyre on Monday, MPICO General Manager for Property, Stella Sokosa, said the company needs new investments to maintain its upward financial trajectory.
The company posted a profit of K19.3 billion in 2025, up from K12 billion in 2024.
Sokosa said the growth was driven largely by fair value gains and improvements in the company’s property portfolio.
She also revealed that MPICO has reduced government occupancy in its properties from 55 percent to 21 percent, a move aimed at strengthening the company’s financial position.
“Many students are struggling to find accommodation because universities cannot house everyone. We see this as a good opportunity for diversification,” said Sokosa.
She added that MPICO is also targeting the hospitality sector after observing continued growth in Malawi’s hotel industry.
“We have seen growth in the hotel business and we want to enter that sector as well,” she said.
But shareholders challenged the company to move faster and become more visible to potential investors.
One shareholder, Ekari Magola, said MPICO must invest in more projects, improve its public profile and attract a broader customer base if it wants to deliver bigger returns.
Magola also expressed concern over government’s long-standing rental arrears, arguing that delayed payments continue to affect the company’s performance.
“The company needs to focus more on the private sector and individual clients instead of relying heavily on government tenants. Government owes the company a lot of money and that affects business growth,” he said.
He described the stakeholder engagement as an eye-opener but urged MPICO to accelerate expansion plans to increase profits and reward shareholders more effectively.
