Blantyre was founded in 1876 through the missionary work of the Church of Scotland. It was named after Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, the birthplace of the explorer David Livingstone. In 1956 it was merged with its sister city, Limbe to form one city.
The city’s status as Malawi’s centre of commerce and industry began through its role as a centre for colonial trade in ivory. Thus, Blantyre quickly established itself as a crossroads for trade in Southern Africa.
