How buying and renting works

Every car on GalimotoYanga is already in Malawi. No shipping, no waiting at the border, no surprise duty bill. You can see it, drive it and take it home.

Buying a car

  1. Find a car. Filter by make, price, year, body type and district. Every listing has a stock number (like GM10001) you can quote to the seller.
  2. Ask questions. Sign in to see the seller's number, call or WhatsApp them, or send a message through GalimotoYanga.
  3. Reserve it with a deposit. Pay 5% of the price (at least MWK 50,000, at most MWK 500,000) by Airtel Money or TNM Mpamba. The car is taken off the market for 3 days so nobody buys it while you travel to see it.
  4. Inspect and test-drive. Check the car, the logbook (blue book) and the certificate of fitness. Make sure the name on the logbook matches the seller or that the dealer has authority to sell.
  5. Buy it, or walk away. If you buy, pay the seller the balance and tap "I bought the car". The deposit counts toward the price. If the car is not as described, report a problem and we refund the deposit after checking. If neither of you acts within 3 days, the reservation lapses and your deposit is refunded in full.

Change of ownership is done at the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS). GalimotoYanga doesn't handle the logbook transfer itself.

Hiring a car

  1. Pick dates. Search the Rent tab with your dates; only cars free for every day are shown.
  2. Self-drive or with a driver. Many owners offer a driver for a daily charge. Self-drive needs a valid driving licence, shown at pick-up.
  3. Pay up front. The full hire is paid by mobile money and held by GalimotoYanga. Your dates are blocked for you straight away.
  4. Drive. When the car is back, the owner marks it returned. You confirm, or it completes automatically after 2 days, and the owner is paid.

Cancel before your start date for a full refund. Fuel, mileage limits and deposits for damage are agreed with the owner.

Selling or hiring out

Listing is free. GalimotoYanga keeps 1% of the price when a car sells through a reservation (taken from the deposit), and 10% of each rental. Money is paid to your mobile money wallet when the deal is done. Start selling.

Staying safe

  • Never send money outside GalimotoYanga before you have seen the car.
  • Meet in a public place in daylight, or at the dealer's yard.
  • Check that the chassis and engine numbers match the logbook.
  • GalimotoYanga staff will never ask for your mobile money PIN.