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Malawi eSIM
Airtel Malawi 4G
Free hotspotFree hotspot on every plan No throttling on fixed-data plans
Malawi eSIM prices start at €3.59 for 1 GB (7 days). The recommended plan, 10 GB (30 days), costs €33.99.
How much data, for how long?
30 days
7 days
Validity does not start until your eSIM connects to a supported network at your destination. There is no deadline for first use. You can buy now and keep your plan for a future trip. Full refund on request, used or unused. We always refund the full amount you paid when you request it, whether your eSIM is unused, partly used or fully used. There is no time limit for requesting a refund.
- One-time payment
- Data-only: no phone number, voice calls or SMS. You pay once. There is no automatic renewal or extra charge when your data runs out.
- Top-up eligibility
- Top-ups are separate purchases. My eSIMs shows the options available for your eSIM. Availability can change; if no suitable top-up is offered, you may need to buy a new eSIM.
Going elsewhere too?
Add another country — each one is its own eSIM, all managed in one app.
Total
€33.99
1 eSIM
Malawi eSIM at a glance
- Networks
- Airtel Malawi 4G
- Plans
- 5 plans, 1 GB to 20 GB, valid 7 to 30 days
- Hotspot
- Free hotspot on every plan
- Speed
- No throttling on fixed-data plans
- Calls and texts
- Data only. Call and text through apps such as WhatsApp, or keep your usual SIM on.
- Validity
- Does not start until the eSIM first connects to a supported network at your destination.
There is no deadline for first use. You can buy now and keep your plan for a future trip.
Malawi eSIM for city and lakeside stays
Compare Malawi eSIM plans for Lilongwe, Blantyre or a named Lake Malawi shore stay by total days, data tasks and every country visited.
A Malawi visit may stay in Lilongwe, add the commercial city of Blantyre, or use a separately booked place on the Lake Malawi shore. Save the Lilongwe address and contact, keep the Blantyre meeting point with its booking, and record the exact lakeside accommodation and organiser location. These are distinct trip shapes, not one required route.
For this trip
Which eSIM fits a Malawi trip?
Compare Horizon’s Malawi plans before buying by validity for every booked night and transfer day and by data for messages, maps, work files, lakeside coordination and each connected device sharing the allowance. Keep Lilongwe, Blantyre and the named Lake Malawi shore accommodation as distinct parts of the stay. Verify Malawi in the product list, and choose a separate suitable plan for each neighbouring country on the itinerary.
Horizon sells the plans shown here. This brief compares those offers for a Malawi itinerary and is not an independent ranking of the whole eSIM market.
Data for planned tasks
Allow for messages and maps, then add work files, uploads, lakeside coordination and every device sharing the plan allowance.
Whole-stay validity
Include every night and transfer day across Lilongwe, Blantyre and any named Lake Malawi shore booking.
Places included
The country plan covers Malawi only; choose another suitable plan for every neighbouring country around the lake.
Refund policy
We always refund the full amount you paid when you request it, whether your eSIM is unused, partly used or fully used. There is no time limit for requesting a refund.
No first-use deadline
Validity does not start until your eSIM connects to a supported network at your destination. There is no deadline for first use. You can buy now and keep your plan for a future trip.
Secure checkout
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24/7 support in all languages
Instant replies guaranteed.
How eSIM works in Malawi
Install the eSIM on reliable Wi-Fi before travel and store the instructions with the first address. Keep the line off until Malawi, then select Horizon for mobile data and enable roaming there. Check Malawi validity: it starts with the first successful supported-network connection. Horizon's Malawi plan is data-only and has no local number. A compatible dual-SIM phone can retain the home line, whose provider may charge for its use.
Install your eSIM
Scan the QR or auto-install in the app — no physical SIM.
Land & connect
Data activates on first connection at your destination.
Size it to your trip
Pick the profile closest to your trip. The estimate assumes normal use — maps, messaging, photos, a short call home.
As a rule of thumb, a 3–4 day city break runs on about 1–3 GB, a one-week trip on 3–5 GB, a two-week multi-country tour on 8–12 GB, and working on the road takes about 1 GB a day, so 15 GB or more for two weeks.
Recommended size
3GB3–4 days
≈0.4 GB a day
- Maps every day
- Messaging and photos
- A short call home most days
In total, a 10 GB data allowance covers roughly 3,300 shared photos, 167 hours of social media and browsing, 29 hours of video calls, 125 hours of music streaming, or about 2000 hours of maps and navigation. Messaging apps barely use data.
All Malawi eSIM plans
Important cities in Malawi
Lilongwe · City guide
Lilongwe
For a work or family stay in Lilongwe, keep the exact accommodation entrance, arrival contact and first appointment together. Save those details offline before travel. Choose validity for every city day, not only arrival.
Lilongwe eSIM — set up before you flyBlantyre · City guide
Blantyre
Blantyre is identified as a centre of commerce and industry, with Mandala House and Chichiri Museum. Save the office, accommodation or meeting entrance and next booking separately from the Lilongwe arrival.
Blantyre eSIM — set up before you flyLake Malawi shore · City guide
Lake Malawi shore
For a stay on Lake Malawi's shore, save the precise accommodation and organiser's meeting point before leaving the city. Keep the return booking offline. The lake spans borders, while a Malawi plan remains country-specific and does not promise reception on the water.
Lake Malawi shore eSIM — set up before you flyWhy Horizon
Choose for each confirmed Malawi stay
Count all nights and transfer days before comparing current allowances. Messages and maps differ from work files, uploads or laptop sharing; hotspot is free on every Horizon plan, all connected devices share the plan allowance, and Horizon does not throttle it. Horizon offers Malawi country plans outside its Africa regional bundle. A shared lake does not extend the plan across borders.
Horizon eSIM Before you travel
Plan for
Malawi
Compare plan details
Check device compatibility
Install over Wi-Fi before departure
- Flexible choice
Better plans, built for real trips
Compare the listed data allowances and validity periods for your destination.
- Before departure
Easy to use
Install over reliable Wi-Fi before departure and follow the plan's activation instructions.
- Clear comparison
Compare the full plan
Review the current price, data, validity and coverage before checkout. Horizon fixed-data plans have no throttling.
- Reuse when eligible
Reuse an eligible eSIM
When the selected plan supports reuse or top-ups, My eSIMs shows the eligible options for the installed profile.
- Usage control
Stay connected
We'll alert you as you approach your limit. If the plan supports a top-up, My eSIMs shows the eligible options.
- Multi-country
Global & regional plans
Choose country, regional or global coverage and check every destination in the plan details.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Malawi eSIM plans cost?
Malawi eSIM prices start at €3.59 for 1 GB (7 days). The recommended plan, 10 GB (30 days), costs €33.99.
What fits a Lilongwe city visit?
Cover the whole city stay, then compare the current allowance with messages, appointments, maps and documents. Save the exact first entrance and contact, not only the city name.
What changes if I add Blantyre?
Add Blantyre nights and the transfer day to validity. Keep its office or accommodation, meeting contact and onward booking separately, including extra work files in the data estimate.
How do I prepare for Lake Malawi?
Save the named shore accommodation, organiser contact, exact meeting point and return booking offline. Keep them available because a connection on the lake or at every shore location cannot be assumed.
Can I share data for work?
Yes. Hotspot use with the Malawi plan is free, and Horizon does not throttle it. A compatible phone is required; the phone and every connected work device share the plan allowance.
Does the package cover the lake across borders?
No. This Malawi country plan does not cover neighbouring countries around the lake. Choose a separate suitable plan for every other country and check the current destination list before purchase.
Is Malawi in Horizon's Africa bundle?
No. Horizon offers Malawi country plans, and Malawi is outside the Africa regional bundle. Choose the country plan for this stay and a separate suitable plan for every additional country.
Can I keep my WhatsApp and phone number with the Malawi eSIM?
Yes. WhatsApp stays linked to your usual number and runs on the eSIM's data. On a dual-SIM phone, your usual SIM can stay on for ordinary calls and texts. Your home carrier may charge for calls, texts or data on that line, so turn off data roaming there.
Does the Malawi eSIM include calls and texts?
No. Horizon plans are data-only, with no phone number for calls or texts. Use apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime over the eSIM's data, or keep your usual SIM on for ordinary calls and texts.
Do I need to turn on data roaming for the Malawi eSIM?
Yes. A travel eSIM connects to local networks as a roaming line, so turn on data roaming for the Horizon eSIM when you arrive. The plan is prepaid, so Horizon does not bill you after checkout. Keep data roaming off on your usual SIM to avoid charges from your home carrier.
What happens if I run out of data on the Malawi eSIM?
You can buy more. If your plan supports a top-up, My eSIMs shows the data you can add to the same eSIM. If it does not, buy another Malawi plan and install it the same way.
Will my phone work with the Malawi eSIM?
It will if your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to your home carrier. Many recent iPhone and Android models do, but some regional versions do not, so check your exact model on the supported devices page before you buy.
See supported devicesWill Horizon slow down my data?
No. Horizon fixed-data plans have no throttling. There is no daily limit that slows you down, so you can use your whole plan in one day if you need to. Your speed depends on the local network, your signal and how busy the network is. When your data allowance is used up, the plan stops rather than slowing down.
Can I get a refund if I already used some data?
Yes. We always refund the full amount you paid when you request it, whether your eSIM is unused, partly used or fully used. There is no time limit for requesting a refund.
Where next
