Mulanje Mountain in Malawi has been officially recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, specifically designated as the Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape. This recognition, granted during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris, highlights the mountain’s cultural and ecological significance, including its importance as a sacred site for local communities.
Mulanje Mountain is Malawi’s third UNESCO World Heritage Site, joining Lake Malawi National Park and the Chongoni Rock-Art Area. Its global recognition as “outstanding universal value” is a source of national pride and is expected to significantly boost eco-tourism and sustainable development in the region.
Sacred dwelling place of ancestors
The mountain, one of the world’s largest inselbergs with a highest peak of 3002 meters (Sapitwa), is revered by the Mang’anja, Yao, and Lomwe peoples as a sacred place inhabited by ancestral spirits, with sites across the massif serving as venues for traditional rites and rituals.
Beyond its cultural importance, Mount Mulanje boasts unique ecosystems and exceptional biodiversity, including the critically endangered Mulanje cedar (Widdringtonia whytei) and numerous endemic species like the Mulanje dwarf gecko and Mulanje tiger moth.
Tourism benefits
The UNESCO status brings several benefits, including global prestige and increased tourism. Mulanje Mountain has been spotlighted in the Malawi Tourism Investment Master Plan as the future home of the Mulanje Cable Car Project. This priority project includes the construction of a restaurant seating 60 people and a mountain inn at the top of the mountain. At the bottom will be a health spa, wellness centre and eco-lodge. The project will also allow tourists to take in the breathtaking panoramic views of this iconic natural wonder.
The Massif has also caught the attention of local and international rock climbers. The walls of Mulanje Mountain have approximately 25 climbing routes that range from around 300 feet to nearly 5,600 feet — the longest technical rock climb in Africa. A local NGO, Climb Malawi, is working to leverage these and other abundant rock cliffs and boulders in Malawi for adventure tourism. They aim to develop local interest in climbing and attract adventure tourists.
With its new UNESCO status, the Mulanje Cable Car Project on the horizon, and numerous adventure opportunities, Mount Mulanje is poised to become a beacon of sustainable tourism and cultural celebration in Malawi.
