18/08/2025
BE A SUPPLIER
Market forces play a crucial role in shaping the economy. The two main market forces are:
1. *Demand*: The desire and ability of consumers to purchase goods and services.
2. *Supply*: The willingness and ability of producers to produce and sell goods and services.
These forces interact to determine:
- *Prices*: The price at which the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied.
- *Quantity*: The amount of goods or services bought and sold.
Market forces can be influenced by various factors, including:
- *Consumer preferences*: Changes in tastes, trends, and needs.
- *Technological advancements*: Improvements in production efficiency or new products.
- *Government policies*: Taxes, regulations, and subsidies.
- *Global events*: Economic shifts, natural disasters, or political changes.
Understanding market forces helps businesses, policymakers, and individuals make informed decisions.
Malawi as a country is a consumer (demander) state... We have almost nothing to supply among ourselves and we cannot export. If we have products that we export, usually they're businesses owned by foreigners or minority malawians who usually supply(export) raw materials. This makes our economy the worst and difficult to be healed... why?
1. We need foreign currency to survive daily
We need foreign currency to buy food, clothes, construction materials etc. Being agricultural economy, it's unfortunate to see how so much foreign products we consume. A country that has so many fish, but we import tin fish etc for consumption.
2. We are consumers (demanders) and not suppliers
All we know is produce raw materials, export them and import finished products. Imagine that we even import toothpicks yet we have so many trees around us. Today we still have fastfood films importing chickens in this country. We consume... If you can think of an elaborate suit, dresses, bags, etc... they're all imported. The question is don't we have designers in our land to design the best quality outfit for us?
I believe we have all it takes to do things on own on but what lacks?
We seem not interested to supply but demand. A family of 5 has a backyard and none will think of planting vegetables they consume daily. They have water, good soils and organic fertilizer but they can't plant a thing because of the syndrome that if "I needed something I would just buy."
Dear Malawians, we will not achieve anything if we continue demanding and not supply. We need to produce more for our families and our communities. Today you'll see that sugar that's made in our own country isn't even enough for the local market but because Illovo needs foreign currency, they're forced to export. It seems like, all we produce we can consume ourselves and still be in need. We have the best water in our naturally given water bodies but no serious farming. Surprisingly we still want to use a hoe to supply maize.
Think of it, during Kamuzu error, Malawi at least was food sufficient but today with all the mechanisation in the world, water and the best soils we have... We cannot produce enough maize. We need other countries to supply seeds, fertilizer and even maize. All this syndrome results in uncontrollably inflation as our currency continues to devalue. Our neighbors are busy producing more but here we are just waiting for their finished products.
Maybe my advice should just be , "be a supplier". Whether a student, civil servant etc supply something to someone. Be able to sell something. Don't just be a buyer and know that no matter how much you earn... You cannot manage to be buying all your life. Supply something to your neighbors in your community and let your neighbors supply you something too. I supply you a suit, supply me a shoe... that will enrich individuals and finally the whole nation will benefit with our kwacha holding value.
***Please be a supplier.***
