Foreign investors, including majority foreign-owned companies in Malawi, are only allowed to lease land for business purposes for a period up to 50 years (exceptional extensions are possible), whereas citizens can hold land to up 99 years according to the Government.

The new Land Act amendment in Malawi, exclusively grants land ownership rights to Malawians, barring foreigners from owning land. It does not apply retroactively, allowing foreigners who already own land to maintain ownership until their lease expires, but they cannot transfer ownership to other foreigners. The amendment also repeals the previous provision that allowed foreigners to acquire land leases for 50 years. Additionally, it includes various provisions limiting land ownership and transfer, with a focus on protecting land for Malawian citizens.
"11.- Land designated for investment purposes shall be identified, published in the Gazette and allocated to the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre Limited which shall create derivative rights to investors in accordance with the Investment and Export Promotion Act. [...] (3) Land for investment allocated by the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre Limited shall be withdrawn if it is not developed within two years of the allocation. [...]
[...]
37.- (1) Subject to section 11, land shall not be granted or sold to a person who is not a citizen of Malawi.
(2) Any existing grant in favour of a person who is not a citizen of Malawi shall be valid until it expires.
(3) Subject to subsection (4), any existing lease in favour of a person who is not a citizen of Malawi shall, upon expiry, not be renewed.
(4) An existing lease in favour of a person who is not a citizen of Malawi may, upone expiry, only be renewed if the land is- 
(a) developed and;
(b) used as a residentual home or for commercial or charitable purposes
[...]
39.- (1) Where a holder of private land under freehold title has commenced development of the land within two years from the commencement of this Act, the Minister may, without prejudice to any other powers conferred on him by this Act or any other written law, by written notice sent to the person concerned and addressed to his registered or his last known address, demand voluntary surrender of the land by the person to the Government within a period of ninety days from the date of written notice, failing which the Minister shall enter the land and register the freehold title in the name of the Government.
(2) Where the holder of a private land has not commenced development of the land within two years pursuant to subsection (1), he may apply to the Minister for the extension of the period within which to commence development of the land, and the Minister may, upon, being satisfied, grant the extension.
[...]
44 A.- (1) Where a lease granted by the Minister in accordance with this Act expires, the land shall become public land.
(2) Where the expired lease referred to under subsection (1) was created out of customary land, the Minister may- 
(a) convert the public land to customary land; and
(b) reallocate the land, giving priority to communities living in the area surrounding the land." (Land (Amendment Act No. 5 of 2022), 25 March 2022)
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2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—[...]
"person who is not a citizen of Malawi" includes a company or other corporate or unincorporated body with majority ownership or control in the persons who are not citizens of Malawi;
[...]
Part III—General
7.—(1) Land shall be categorized as either public land or private land.
(2) Public land shall be classified either as Government land or unallocated customary land.
(3) Private land shall be classified as freehold, leasehold or customary estate.
8. All land is vested in perpetuity in the Republic.
[...]
10.—(1) Land shall not be assured to or for the benefit of, or acquired by or on behalf of a body corporate, unless the body corporate is authorized by a licence issued by the Minister in consultation with die President to hold land in Malawi, but this section shall not apply to a body corporate incorporated in Malawi in accordance with the Companies Act or a body corporate established by or under a written law which empowers it to hold land in Malawi.
[...]
Part V — Private Land
(1) The Minister may, upon application by any person in a land which prescribed manner, grant or allocate leasehold or customary estate may grant to such person on such terms and conditions as the Minister considers appropriate.
[...]
37. —{1} Any grant of private land to any person who is not a citizen of Malawi, whether by way of sale, conveyance, assignment, lease, transfer or other transaction, shall not be for an estate greater than a lease of fifty years unless, for reasons fully explained in writing accompanying the application for the registration of the grant, a greater estate is required for the realization of investment.
(2) Without prejudice to subsection (1), where, at the time of transaction, the existing interest in the private land concerned is for an estate greater than fifty years, a grant of private land may be made extending up to the entire remaining estate.
38. —(1) Without prejudice to the requirements of section 37 or any other provision of this Act, a person shall not sell, whether by private transaction or by tender, auction or other means, any private land to a person who is not a citizen of Malawi, unless—
(a) the intention to sell the private land has been published in a newspaper in daily circulation in Malawi not less than twenty-one days before the date of sale, specifying the price, location and size of the private land, any developments thereon and any other
particulars sufficient to identify the land: Provided that the government valuer appointed by the Minister shall be at liberty to verify the advertised purchase price prior to the sale;
(b) following the publication referred to in paragraph (a), no person who is a citizen of Malawi has made an offer, or has been able, to purchase the private land at a price that is not lower than the published price; and
(c) the purchaser, if not a citizen of Malawi, has purchased the private land at a price that is not lower than the published price. [...]" (Land Act No. 16 of 2016)
Land Act No. 16 of 2016
Land (Amendment Act No. 5 of 2022), 25 March 2022
[<a href="http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/mlw170885.pdf">Act</a>],[<a href="https://www.malawi.gov.mw/index.php/resources/publications/acts">Act</a>]