Small arabica origin in northern Malawi. The Misuku Hills (about 1,700-2,000 m) are the standout zone, with smallholders organised through a cooperative union.
Malawi is a small arabica producer whose main coffee zones are in the Northern Region: the Misuku Hills, the Viphya highlands and Nyika. Misuku sits at about 1,700-2,000 m near the Tanzanian border. Its canopy-shaded arabica, largely Agaro and Geisha, is described as sweet, delicate and floral with hints of liquorice and spice. Thousands of smallholders grow coffee, and the Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative Union exports a couple of hundred tonnes a year.
History
The Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative Union formed in 1999, combining the Misuku cooperative with five other regional cooperatives. The union now exports a couple of hundred tonnes a year.
Field notes
- i
The Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative Union formed in 1999 by combining the Misuku cooperative with five others, and it exports mainly to Germany and South Africa.
- ii
The Mzuzu union exports more than 200 tonnes a year, and the UK takes about 10 percent of Malawi's coffee production.
Where it growsNorthern highlands in Misuku Hills and Viphya plateau.
In the cup, according to guides
- FloralOften notedMisuku coffees are described as sweet, delicate and floral.
- SweetnessMoreMisuku coffees are described as sweet.
- SpiceOften notedHints of liquorice and spice are reported.
Regions of Malawi
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Far-north hills near the Tanzanian border at about 1,700-2,000 m, Malawi's principal coffee area, with canopy-shaded Agaro and Geisha arabica.
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Highlands in Malawi's Northern Region along the west shore of Lake Malawi, with smallholder arabica grown at around 1,500 m.
Varietals grown here
Species
- Coffea arabica100%
Sources · 3 Every sentence here was checked against a source we read. Taste notes are what guides describe, not promises about your bag. Last revised 2026-11-10. Some details here are less settled than others.
- Malawi coffee: the ups, the downs, the future · DR Wakefield
- Viphya Mountains · Wikipedia
- Coffee from the Viphya Highlands in Malawi · Cultural Wanderlust