Nkhotakota District – The "zig-zag" lakeshore where Livingstone met Jumbe
Nkhotakota, whose name means "zig-zag" in Chichewa, lies along the shore of Lake Malawi. In the nineteenth century it was an important lakeside centre ruled by the Jumbe, and it was also a painful hub of the regional slave trade. The missionary explorer David Livingstone visited Nkhotakota and met the Jumbe here in the 1860s, a meeting still remembered at the town's historic sites.
Today the district covers 4,259 km² and has around 396,000 inhabitants. It is known for its old town, fishing communities and the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. Do you have stories, photos or family memories from Nkhotakota? We warmly invite you to share them with our community!