Yesterday, Illovo Sugar at Shoprite was posted at K1159.99 each, a price that is approximately K300 more than before. Being Shoprite, the price is estimated to be the lowest that a customer can find on the market, hinting that Illovo Sugar’s price has been hiked.

While a price increase announcement has not made yet, the hike may not be surprising as Illovo Sugar Malawi has often decried the presence of smuggled sugar in the country, a circumstance that has robbed the company of profits. During the launch of the company’s Zikutheka Ndi Illovo Promotion, the company said it was losing billions of kwacha due to an influx of illegally imported sugar. “Business will not be as profitable as it was before. We are hoping that our stakeholders come to the party and stem the influx of illegal sugar. We have so many borders that are porous and we are engaging necessary authorities to deal with the problem.” said Walter Nyamilandu, the company’s Head of Domestic Sales.

Meanwhile the Malawi Regulatory Authority (MRA) has addressed smuggling cases, especially on Sugar and Beer. In an effort to raise awareness on sugar smuggling, the MRA engaged in a campaign against sugar smuggling at trading centres along the border with Mozambique and Zambia. In February this year, MRA announced that it seized 527 bales of smuggled Sugar.