Dedza - Potential

Dedza District has potential for economic development, especially because of its proximity to the capital, Lilongwe. There is already a large sawmill and a ceramics factory/pottery (www.dedzapottery.com) on the edge of Dedza Township. Further development would probably be agriculture based, such as fruit and tomato canning.

Tourism could also be developed, both for local visitors from the capital and from abroad. The forest reserves of Dedza Mountain, Chongoni and Mua-Livulezi offer good walks through interesting countryside with spectacular views and some wildlife. It is possible to walk to the summit of Dedza Mountain in two to three hours and have a glorious view over three countries - Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.

Cultural Centre at Mua

The Kungoni Cultural Centre at Mua (www.kungoni.org) houses the Chamare Museum and Research Centre, which displays the history, culture and spiritual heritage of the Chewa, Ngoni and Yao tribes of central Malawi. Accommodation is available and there are sometimes residential programmes for those wishing to learn more of the songs and dances.

At some sites in Dedza there are 3000 year old rock paintings. These and other local attractions can be combined with more traditional tourist activities at the lakeside resorts of Cape Maclear and Mangochi and the Liwonde National Park game reserve.