Africa · Horizontal tricolour + emblem
How to draw the flag of Malawi
The flag of Malawi is three equal horizontal bands — black, red and green from top to bottom, with rising sun. It flies at a ratio of 2:3.
Step by step
- Start with the right shape. Malawi flies at 2:3 — for every 3 units of width the flag is 2 tall. Sketch that rectangle first; a flag drawn too square is the fastest way to lose layout points.
- Divide the height into three. Mark two guide lines before you fill anything in. Even bands matter more than neat edges — the scorer cares where the colour blocks sit.
- Band 1: black. Fill the first band from the top with black. Use the fill tool rather than shading — flat blocks score better than sketchy strokes.
- Band 2: red. Fill the second band from the top with red. Use the fill tool rather than shading — flat blocks score better than sketchy strokes.
- Band 3: green. Fill the third band from the top with green. Use the fill tool rather than shading — flat blocks score better than sketchy strokes.
- Finish with the rising sun. Detail is the last ten percent of the score, so leave it until the colour blocks are down. Size and position count for more than drawing every line of it.
Malawi flag colours
The colour codes below are the ones to reach for if you are recreating the flag digitally.
| Colour | Hex | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| Black | #000000 | rgb(0, 0, 0) |
| Red | #CE1126 | rgb(206, 17, 38) |
| Green | #339E35 | rgb(51, 158, 53) |
Common mistakes
- Watch out for Kenya and South Sudan — they are close enough to Malawi that people draw the wrong one from memory.
- Colour order is where most people slip. Fix which colour touches the top — that one anchor keeps the rest in place.
A trick for remembering it
Lock in the order — black, red then green — from the top down. Say it out loud once and you will still have it tomorrow.
Flags that look like this one
Side-by-side breakdowns of the pairs people mix up:
Questions about the Malawi flag
What colours are on the flag of Malawi?
Malawi uses 3 colours: black (#000000), red (#CE1126), green (#339E35).
What order are the stripes on the Malawi flag?
Black, then Red, then Green — from the top down.
What are the proportions of the Malawi flag?
It flies at 2:3 (height to width). Drawing it at the wrong shape is one of the quickest ways to lose layout marks in the game.
Which flags look like the Malawi flag?
Kenya, South Sudan. Colour order is where most people slip. Fix which colour touches the top — that one anchor keeps the rest in place.
How hard is the Malawi flag to draw from memory?
PlayVexle rates it 2 out of 5. Flat colour blocks and no fine detail, so most players score in the eighties or nineties.
