Malawi Kwacha

Kwacha

Country:	Malawi Malawi
Subdivision:	100 tambala
ISO 4217 code :	MWK
Abbreviation:	MK
Exchange rate : (29 Mar 2020)	1 EUR = 823.67 MWK 100 MWK = 0.12141 EUR 1 CHF = 765.42 MWK 100 MWK = 0.13065 CHF

1997 5 kwacha banknote depicting John Chilembwe.

The kwacha is the currency of Malawi , it was introduced in 1970. A kwacha is divided into 100 tambala (abbreviation: t ). Kwacha is Chichewa and translates as “dawn” or “departure”; Tambala means "rooster" (a rooster is the symbol of the Malawi Congress Party, or MCP for short).

The current banknote series of 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 Kwacha was issued in 2012. In November 2016, the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) issued a 2000 kwacha note to curb the chronic money shortage. Before that, a series with values from 5 to 500 kwacha was in circulation, in which all banknotes had a uniformly designed front with the image of John Chilembwe , the backs showed various buildings and scenes typical of the country. The 50 tambala and 1 kwacha contained in the first banknote series from 1971 were supplemented in 1986 by coins of the same denominations; a 2 kwacha banknote was only issued until 1973. Bimetallic coins with a value of 5 and 10 kwacha have also been in circulation since 2006.

There are also coins of 1, 5 and 10 kwacha.

Coins

Banknotes

Series from 2014-2016
Illustration		value	Size in millimeters	colour	description
front	back	value	Size in millimeters	colour	front	back	Watermark
		20th	128 × 64	violet	Malawian Central Bank in Lilongwe; Inkosi ya Makhosi M'mbelwa II (Lazalo Mkhuzo Jere)	Machinga Teachers Training College, pile of books	Inkosi ya Makhosi M'mbelwa II (Lazalo Mkhuzo Jere)
		50	128 × 64	Light green	Malawian Central Bank in Lilongwe; Inkosi Ya Makhosi Gomani II (Philip Zitonga Maseko)	Elephant and safari vehicle in Kasungu National Park	Inkosi Ya Makhosi Gomani II (Philip Zitonga Maseko)
		100	128 × 64	red	Malawian Central Bank in Lilongwe; James Frederick Sangala	College of Medicine at Blantyre; stethoscope	James Frederick Sangala
		200	132 × 66	blue	Malawian Central Bank in Lilongwe; Rose Lomathinda Chibambo	New parliament building in Lilongwe	Rose Lomathinda Chibambo
		500	132 × 66	brown	Malawian Central Bank in Lilongwe; Reverend John Chilembwe	Mulunguzi Dam in Zomba , water tap	John Chilembwe
		1000	132 × 66	green	Malawian Central Bank in Lilongwe; Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda	Corn silos in Mzuzu	Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda
		2000	135 × 66	yellow	Malawian Central Bank in Lilongwe; Reverend John Chilembwe	Technical University of Malawi in the Thyolo District	John Chilembwe