Forex Zambia
1 USD = 1,744.976 MWK
Indicative rate, updated 7 hours ago. Not a live dealing rate - confirm with your broker before trading.
A live technical-analysis reading for USD/MWK, from Strong Sell to Strong Buy, updated automatically by TradingView. Forex has no reliable, freely-published Fear & Greed Index the way stocks or crypto do, so this momentum-based gauge is shown instead.
USD/MWK tracks the US Dollar against the Malawian Kwacha, driven mainly by agricultural export earnings and Reserve Bank of Malawi policy. As a fellow African currency, its moves are a useful comparison point for how the Kwacha is performing against similar economies.
Rates shown here are indicative only, sourced periodically rather than streamed live. Confirm the exact rate with your bank or broker before converting funds or opening a trade.
Latest
1,733.72
25 Sep 2026
Highest since Mar 2024
1,741.28
23 Apr 2025
Lowest since Mar 2024
1,679.46
13 Mar 2024
12-month average
1,734.30
1,727.26 – 1,741.00
Over the past year USD/MWK has fallen 0.12%, meaning the USD has weakened against the MWK. In the last 30 days it has moved up 0.03%. Across the last 12 months it traded between 1,727.26 and 1,741.00. Its highest level in the data window (since March 2024) was 1,741.28 on 23 Apr 2025, and its lowest was 1,679.46 on 13 Mar 2024.
Based on weekly data from 6 Mar 2024 to 25 Sep 2026. Source: Weekly rate snapshots (currency-api). A rising rate means the USD is strengthening against the MWK. Past performance does not predict future results.
A pair's price is one currency's value measured against another, so the economy behind each side matters.
United States · Federal Reserve (Fed) · Free float
The US Dollar is the world's dominant reserve and trading currency. It sits on one side of roughly nine in ten forex trades, and most commodities, including copper, are priced in it.
Malawi · Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) · Fixed official rate with parallel market
Malawi neighbours Zambia and has a Kwacha of its own. The official rate has been held broadly fixed for long periods, while a parallel market often trades at a large premium because of Dollar shortages. The rate on this page is the official one.
The US Dollar is a traditional safe haven. In periods of market stress, investors tend to move money into it, which often pushes it higher against the Malawian Kwacha even when local economic data is unchanged. Because the Malawian Kwacha tends to do well when investors are optimistic, USD/MWK is widely watched as a barometer of global risk appetite.
The Malawian Kwacha is an emerging or frontier-market currency. Compared with a major reserve currency, its market is thinner, so shifts in global risk appetite, Dollar liquidity and capital flows can move it faster and further than fundamentals alone would suggest.
Central-bank policy matters on both sides: the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM). When one of them is expected to keep interest rates higher than the other, that currency usually attracts capital and strengthens; a narrowing gap tends to reverse the move.
Typically rises with the Dollar
Usually moves inversely to the Dollar
Risk-off episodes tend to boost the Dollar
Key export driver
2008 USD
The global financial crisis triggered a surge in safe-haven Dollar demand.
2014–15 USD
The Fed signalled tighter policy while other central banks eased, driving a powerful Dollar rally.
2020 USD
In March 2020 a global "dash for Dollars" sent the currency sharply higher before the Fed flooded markets with liquidity.
2022 USD
The fastest Fed hiking cycle in decades pushed the Dollar to a roughly 20-year high, including parity with the Euro.
2023 MWK
The Reserve Bank devalued the official rate by about 44% in a single move.
As a fellow African currency, USD/MWK is a useful yardstick for how the Kwacha is performing against regional economies. It also matters for cross-border trade in Southern and East Africa.
Compare brokers offering these pairs →Most active: New York session (and the London–New York overlap) • Lilongwe business hours
1 USD is worth about 1,744.98 MWK (indicative, updated 7 hours ago). Always confirm the exact rate with your bank or broker before you convert or trade.
In the data we track (since 6 Mar 2024), USD/MWK peaked at 1,741.28 on 23 Apr 2025 and bottomed at 1,679.46 on 13 Mar 2024.
USD/MWK is influenced by the relative strength of the US Dollar and the Malawian Kwacha. Key factors include: Federal Reserve interest-rate policy, US inflation and jobs data, Tobacco earnings, Foreign-currency shortages. See the sections above for the full list.
Activity and liquidity are typically highest during: New York session (and the London–New York overlap) • Lilongwe business hours. Spreads are usually tighter when the relevant markets are open.
USD/MWK can be more volatile or carry wider spreads than the major pairs, so it usually suits experienced traders better. If you are new, start with a demo account and a major pair. Trading forex carries a high risk of loss.
This page is educational and is not investment advice. Rates, statistics and commentary are indicative and may contain errors or be out of date. Forex and CFD trading carries a high risk of loss.