Malawi’s cheques to be axed for good  as Reserve Bank announces final deadline: March 2027

Reserve Bank of Malawin has officially confirmed the death of the cheque, announcing that the payment instrument will be scrapped for good on 11 March 2027 — marking a dramatic shift towards electronic and digital payment methods across the country.

The bombshell announcement came in a joint statement issued late on the night of 28 September 2026, signed by Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Governor Dr George Partridge alongside the Bankers Association of Malawi (BAM).

Under the transition arrangements now in place, banks have agreed to honour cheques issued on or before 29 September 2026, giving customers still relying on the paper-based system a final window to access funds covered by eligible cheques before the axe finally falls.

According to the announcement, any cheques presented for clearing on or before 29 September may continue to be processed by banks right up until the hard deadline of 11 March 2027 — after which point banks will be strictly forbidden from processing cheques of any kind.

Customers and businesses that have long relied on cheques as their preferred method of payment are now being urged to act fast and switch to alternative channels offered by banks and licensed payment service providers, including internet banking, mobile banking, electronic funds transfers (EFTs), payment cards and mobile money services.

The sweeping move forms part of wider efforts by authorities to modernise Malawi’s financial system, promoting safer, faster and more efficient digital payment methods as the country edges closer to becoming a cashless, cheque-free economy.