Lilongwe eSIM
17 Malawi plans · from $16.68
Malawi is a narrow country dominated by a lake so large it has its own islands and freshwater snorkelling, and Lilongwe is the quiet capital most visitors pass through on the way to it. A travel eSIM covers the capital, the lakeshore and the parks — the last of which is where it stops.
Landing at Kamuzu International (LLW)
The airport is about 25km north of the city. Many visitors instead route through Blantyre in the south or arrive overland from Zambia or Tanzania. Fuel supply has been unreliable at times — worth confirming transport arrangements in advance.
eSIM plans that cover Lilongwe
Lilongwe is covered by every Malawi plan below — there is no separate city-only eSIM to buy.
Choose a data plan
1 GB
7 days· 0.1 GB per $1
$16.68
5% back in credits
$23.27
5% back in credits
$27.83
5% back in credits
2 GB
15 days· 0.1 GB per $1
$32.07
5% back in credits
3 GB
30 days· 0.1 GB per $1
$44.85
5% back in credits
$55.27
5% back in credits
$67.28
5% back in credits
5 GB
30 days· 0.1 GB per $1
$73.87
5% back in credits
$80.64
5% back in credits
$111.28
5% back in credits
$133.44
5% back in credits
10 GB
30 days· 0.1 GB per $1
$135.48
5% back in credits
$155.28
5% back in credits
$160.89
5% back in credits
$186.25
5% back in credits
$266.49
5% back in credits
$372.11
5% back in credits
How “Unlimited” works: Never cut off — each plan gives a set amount of full-speed data, then a slower speed. The exact allowance and speed are shown on every plan.Read more
Unlimited plans never run out and your eSIM is never disconnected, but every one has a fair-use limit: a set amount of full-speed data, after which the speed is reduced. The amounts differ between plans — most give a daily full-speed allowance that refills every 24 hours from when you first activate the eSIM, while Premium plans give a larger allowance for the whole plan instead. Each plan states its own allowance and the speed after it before you buy. At the reduced speed, messaging, maps, email and light browsing still work; video streaming and video calls may not. If you want every gigabyte at full speed, choose a fixed-GB plan.
Which networks you'll be on in Lilongwe
Siima eSIMs for Malawi ride TNM and Airtel Malawi. Coverage follows the main towns, the M1 highway and the lakeshore resorts.
Coverage around Lilongwe
Lilongwe
Reasonable coverage across the Old Town and City Centre districts. The two halves of Lilongwe are several kilometres apart, which surprises first-time visitors.
Lake Malawi
Cape Maclear, Nkhata Bay and Senga Bay have coverage in the villages and at the lodges. Boat trips out to the islands and Likoma lose it.
Liwonde and Majete
The park gates and lodges generally have signal; game drives inside do not, which is standard.
Mount Mulanje
The massif has coverage at the base and in Mulanje town. The plateau huts and the trekking routes are offline — guides and hut bookings are arranged before you climb for exactly that reason.
How much data you need
Ten days in Malawi is 2–3 GB. The lake and park days use little; Lilongwe and Blantyre account for most of it.
Work it out with our data usage calculator →