Reserve Bank disowns fake notice claiming Malawi kwacha devaluation

The Reserve Bank of Malawi has said a document circulating online, which claimed to double the official selling rate of the dollar, is a forgery and was not issued by the bank.

The fake notice, which carries the bank’s crest and the name of Governor George Partridge, said the dollar selling rate had risen from MWK1,750 to MWK3,200 with effect from 28 October 2026.

An image of the document, marked with a red “FAKE” watermark, has been shared on social media.

In a public notice, the bank described the document as “FAKE” and said it “was not issued by the Reserve Bank of Malawi”.

It urged businesses, market players and the public to check all announcements against its official website and verified social media accounts before acting on them.

Anyone who comes across suspicious material purporting to come from the bank was asked to report it.

The forgery closely copied the format of genuine central bank correspondence. Its language on arbitrage and spot checks resembles the wording the bank typically uses, which may have made it look authentic to some readers.

The bank has not said who produced the document or why, or whether it plans legal action.