Goshen City, Mangochi

Goshen City
Country	Malawi
Region	Southern Region
District	Mangochi District
Area	Monkey Bay
Project unveiled	31 May 2022
Government
• Body	Goshen Trust
• President	Shepherd Bushiri
Time zone	UTC+2 (CAT)
Website	thegoshencity.org

Goshen City is a city and mixed-use development located in Mangochi District of Malawi, near Monkey Bay on the shore of Lake Malawi. In 2023, it was awarded for being one of the 30 emerging business brands in the Middle East and Africa, by the former President of France, Francois Hollande.

In 2024, the city received the Global Visionary and Pioneer in Smart City Transformation award at the Burj CEO Awards. The city is also supported by Malawi Government through its branches. It is also home to a regional football club, Goshen City Dynamos that plays on regional level in Malawi.

The project was founded and promoted by Malawian businessman and preacher Shepherd Bushiri. It was publicly unveiled in Lilongwe on 31 May 2022 as a proposed commercial, tourism and residential development to combine business, agriculture and technology, as well as education, healthcare and hospitality.

The development is located approximately 4 kilometers from the Mangochi to Monkey Bay via Golomoti junction along the road to Monkey Bay, before the turn to Cape Maclear. Its planned area extends from the Mangochi to Monkey Bay road towards the beaches of Lake Malawi.

History

Goshen City was formally unveiled by Shepherd Bushiri on 31 May 2022 during the launch of Malawi's Secondary Cities Plan. Bushiri presented the development as a commercial and tourism smart city and claimed that its long-term development would be divided into 20 phases. He said the initial phases would focus on establishing the core infrastructure and facilities of the project.

In June 2022, Bushiri claimed the first phase would cost approximately US$50 million and would include residential housing, a five-star hotel and a 5,000-seat international convention centre. Contemporary reports from the construction site claimed apartment blocks, offices, a chapel and the convention centre were already taking shape, while roads were being prepared.

The Malawian government publicly expressed support for the development. In June 2022, Local Government Minister Blessings Chinsinga visited the project and said the government would support its development, describing it as a potential contributor to economic growth. Tourism Minister Michael Usi also visited the site and said the project was consistent with the government's objectives of job creation, tourism development and economic growth.

Development

The first phase of the project was originally expected to be completed in December 2022, but it was not. In January 2024, Goshen City's spokesperson said that the launch had been postponed because shortages of foreign currency had made it difficult to complete construction and finish the facilities required for the first phase.

The project's schedule shifted and in January 2026, reporting on the development stated that construction work was still continuing, while the developers were preparing a hospitality-focused phase that was expected to launch in March 2026. The planned hospitality component included hotels, entertainment facilities, conferencing infrastructure and recreational facilities. Subsequent phases were described as concentrating on commercial infrastructure, including shopping malls, apartments and business spaces, followed by education and healthcare projects.

Planned facilities and sectors

The original plans for Goshen City included residential housing, hotels, a large convention centre, specialised hospitals, an international school, information and communications technology facilities, an international airport and a sports stadium.

The project's promoters have also presented it as an economic hub incorporating agribusiness, finance, education, technology, tourism and medicine. In 2023, the Goshen City organisation expanded its commercial activities beyond the physical development site. Products and services publicly launched under the Goshen name included Goshen Cola, Goshen Satellite, Goshen perfume, Goshen Energy Drink, Goshen Farms and digital technology products. Bushiri described the launch as the organisation's opening to the wider market.

Employment and investment

At the launch of Malawi's Secondary Cities Plan in 2022, Bushiri claimed that the project had created about 4,000 jobs and could eventually employ as many as 100,000 people across its planned phases. These figures were presented by the project and were prospective estimates rather than independently verified employment totals.

The project has sought partnerships with both public and private-sector organisations. In 2022, Goshen City held a multi-stakeholder meeting in Blantyre aimed at presenting its development plans and attracting investment and partnerships from companies and institutions.

Corporate and community activities

Goshen City has used its corporate brand for activities outside the construction project. In 2026, Goshen City Trust announced a K175 million sponsorship package for the Miss Malawi pageant, including funding for prizes and the organisation of the competition.

The organisation has also supported sporting activities in Malawi. In 2025, Goshen City sponsored the Football Association of Malawi's women's national championship alongside the association and said that the sponsorship was intended to promote and develop football talent.

In January 2026, Goshen City ended a partnership with the Film Association of Malawi following an internal review of the collaboration. Both organisations said the end of the partnership was part of a strategic realignment, while Goshen City said it remained willing to support creative and cultural initiatives through other arrangements.

Awards

• Awarded as one of the 30 emerging business brands in the Middle East and Africa

• In 2024, the city received the Global Visionary and Pioneer in Smart City Transformation award at the Burj CEO Awards.

See also

• Monkey Bay
• Mangochi District
• Shepherd Bushiri