The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has announced a 75 percent increase in annual subvention money for Super League clubs, raising the figure from MK20 million to MK35 million per club per season.
FAM President Fleetwood Haiya made the announcement on Saturday at the Super League of Malawi (SULOM) Annual General Meeting, held at Sunbird Livingstonia Beach Hotel in Salima.
Addressing the 16 SULOM-affiliated clubs, Haiya said the upward adjustment was designed to cushion clubs from the rising costs of running football operations in Malawi’s challenging economic environment.
“Starting in the coming season, FAM has raised subventions to clubs by 75 percent — from MK20 million to MK35 million each per season. Such an upward adjustment will cushion the clubs from shocks of rising operational costs,” he said.
Under the new arrangement, FAM will contribute MK15 million while league sponsors FDH Bank will provide MK20 million. Previously, clubs received MK20 million split equally between SULOM and former sponsors TNM Plc.
The increment marks a remarkable turnaround for top-flight clubs. Before the 2024 season, Super League clubs received as little as MK1 million each in subvention fees, meaning that by the 2026 season the figure will have grown to MK35 million — a development Haiya described as a clear sign of progress, even as he acknowledged that more needs to be done.
Haiya framed the increase as a key step toward professionalising football in the country, saying the cost of managing teams has become very high and clubs need adequate financial support.
“We want to cushion the operating expenditures for the clubs. We cannot talk of professionalism if the clubs are not empowered financially, so we believe this is a big step to professionalise football in the country,” he said.
He also commended SULOM for managing the elite division in a more professional and commercial manner, saying it aligned with FAM’s broader Transforming the Game agenda.
“The AGM comes hot on the heels of a landmark elite league sponsorship secured by SULOM in a challenging economic environment. I was happy to note that SULOM has been running the elite division in a more professional and commercial manner in line with the Revive, Reform, Rebrand agenda, which aligns to FAM’s Transforming the Game agenda,” Haiya said.
On infrastructure, the FAM President assured clubs that FAM is actively engaging the government and other facility owners to improve football grounds across the country. He also called on clubs to identify and confirm their home venues ahead of the new season, which is expected to kick off in April.
SULOM President Gilbert Mittawa, who is also a FAM Executive Committee member, welcomed the development, saying it would go a long way in helping clubs cope with the current cost of living.
“We are very excited with what FAM has done. We believe this will cushion the clubs. The cost of living is very high so we want to make sure that the clubs are able to operate in a good environment,” he said.
