Plan research in Malawi.

English and Chichewa are official languages. English is the main working language for government paperwork, while Chichewa is needed for broad respondent interviewing across central and southern areas. Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe and Sena may be required by region. Translation should use plain Chichewa and test local-language equivalents before back-translation.

Lilongwe and Blantyre are the main urban anchors, with Mzuzu important in the north. Most people live in rural villages across lake shore, central plateau, southern highlands and lower Shire areas. National samples need regional and rural allocation, with urban strata for major cities; targeted studies should match district, livelihood and language area.

Mobile phone surveys are feasible for many groups, but online surveys skew urban, educated and younger. Face-to-face work should plan around rainy-season roads, flood-prone southern districts and local council or traditional authority entry. Health, agriculture and education studies commonly need ministry and ethics clearance. Fieldwork usually takes three to five weeks for national coverage.

Fieldwork notes compiled from public sources by Surveysphere Africa; confirmed with our in-country partner before a study starts.