Kasungu National Park fence commissioned: A bold step towards enhancing coexistence in Malawi

(Lilongwe Malawi – 12 August 2025) The Government of Malawi has today officially commissioned the US$1.2 million, 133-kilometre solar-powered electric fence in Kasungu, marking the completion of a project to ensure peaceful coexistence of people and wildlife and enhance the national park’s security.  

The fence, which stretches along the eastern boundary of the 2,316-square-kilometre Kasungu National Park received technical and financial support from IFAW. It will help protect an estimated 3,300 households (19,800 people) who live adjacent to the park from crop-raiding.  

In her address at the official handover ceremony, Malawi’s Minister of Tourism, Dr Vera Kamtukule, said: “The Government of Malawi is committed to mitigating human-wildlife conflict and nurturing resilient communities that live in harmony with wildlife. As we celebrate this milestone, we are filled with excitement as the completion of the fence project will empower both people and wildlife to thrive together for generations to come.”  

IFAW Malawi Country Director Patricio Ndadzela noted that, “Erecting this solar-powered electric fence creates a haven for elephants, minimising their encounters with humans and helping to protect local livelihoods. Community participation in co-designing and implementing the project has been encouraging. Their active involvement is a key ingredient for success.”  

During the construction period of the fence over 500 jobs were created supporting over 3,000 communities with an income.  

IFAW has been providing financial and technical support to the Malawi Government through the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in rolling out a raft of interventions aimed at mitigating human-wildlife conflict and promoting coexistence. As part of the fence launch IFAW donated three new land cruisers and ten motorbikes for various uses in managing Kasungu National Park including mitigation of human wildlife conflict.  

The human population in the buffer communities around Kasungu National Park is growing rapidly. According to the 2018 National Population and Housing Census, the population of Kasungu District stood at 842,000. IFAW has been providing financial and technical support to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in Malawi in rolling out a raft of interventions aimed at mitigating human-wildlife conflict and promoting coexistence. 

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Press Contacts: 

Luckmore Safuli  
Communications Officer, Southern Africa 
m: +263 77 252 7736 
e: lsafuli@ifaw.org