Mumbo Island is part of the Lake Malawi National Park, and Kayak Africa runs the camp according to a Public-Private partnership agreement with the Malawi government. Consequently, all guests are required to pay the official daily National Park entry fees; and Kayak Africa pays a concession fee to government.

National Park entry fees vary according to residency and are collected on behalf of the government and passed on to them directly. We believe it is in the best interest of our guests for all the other conservation-related fees to be embedded within our published rates – what you see is what you pay.

Kayak Africa is a Malawi-registered company and is subject to the tax regime of Malawi. Again, our published rates include all applicable taxes and government levies.

Companies like Kayak Africa that are active in protected areas are major contributors to the funding of conservation efforts and the government fiscus in general. In the case of Kayak Africa all fees, taxes and levies amount to approximately 40% of the published rates.

Kayak Africa is also the largest employer in the Cape Maclear area and follows a procurement policy that prioritises local providers of goods and services. Thus, a significant portion of the price paid by guests also ends up in the hands of the Cape Maclear community.

More about Catering

Catering in context

Mumbo Island is 10km offshore of Cape Maclear. Cape Maclear is 275km away from the shops in Lilongwe and Blantyre. There is no significant electrical power availability on the islands.

These logistical realities have a profound effect on the cost of providing catering. They demand appropriate booking/payment/amendment lead times. The procurement, transport, storage and preparation of food must be fitting. The situation is simply not the same as running a restaurant in a Malawian city, not to mention a European one.

Kayak Africa has been running the camps on the islands for thirty-two years. Although we are far from perfect we have learned a trick of two over the years. Given the context we are confident that our meal service on the islands is the best solution possible.

More on the cost of catering

We are aware that the cost of catering is high when compared to prices one may pay in one’s home country. But to make such a comparison is to compare apples with oranges.

The logistical context has been described above. Malawi’s economic background is also a major factor:

• With the exception of locally-grown fresh produce almost all food items are imported. Transport and the related costs therefore include country of origin to Malawi in addition to shop to kitchen.
• Many of the food items in our menus, while suitable and necessary for our guests, are in the Malawi context considered luxury items. As such their prices are not limited by the average Malawian citizen’s ability to pay. Shops simply pass on the high cost to the consumers that opt to purchase such items. This effect is particularly marked in the case of foods for special dietary requirements such as vegan, gluten/lactose intolerance, no-carb diets and so on. With respect to certain special dietary requirements we thus levy a surcharge, as is standard practice in many locations.
• The Malawi inflation environment is severe – approximately 25% per annum for the past three years and counting. Foreign currency exchange rates are fixed by the Reserve Bank of Malawi and have not moved in more than two years. These two factors combine into a significant cost reality for catering services.
• Some relative examples provide clarity:
  • Malawi fuel price is USD3.50 per litre, compared to USD2.00 in Europe.
  • An eat-out pizza in Lilongwe is USD25, compared to USD15 in Europe.
  • Cheese in Malawi costs about USD50 per kilogram.

Our response

We design menus to be wholesome and hearty yet simple; and to maximise the use of locally-produced foods and fresh produce to the extent possible.

We offer less costly options such as self-catering (you bring all the food and cook yourself), or chef hire (you bring all the food and a Kayak Africa chef prepares it for you). The island camps have a fully-equipped kitchen at your disposal, and Kayak Africa staff will take care of all the washing and cleaning at no extra cost.

Our island bars offer a variety of beers, spirits, wines and soft drinks. However guests are welcome to bring their own drinks and make use of the island’s cooling facilities. There is no corkage or similar charge.

In conclusion

Thank you for reading this far! We hope that this information fosters an understanding of the challenges around providing catering on the islands which will assist you in making appropriate choices.

Mumbo Island can be visited in isolation or in combination with other selected destinations in Southern Malawi. Here are a couple of ideas that we can highly recommend: