Malawi is widely regarded as one of the few examples of successful development in sub-Saharan Africa. Malawi's growth during the 1960's and 1970's was based almost entirely on an agricultural export strategy featuring tobacco, sugar, and tea. Given the current prominence of agricultural export strategies in the recommendations of multilateral aid agencies, it is worth analyzing the impact of one such strategy on income distribution in a country whose growth performance is generally well regarded. For Malawi, the specifics of that strategy had significant consequences for income distribution. While there is evidence that distributional equity in the country has declined, it is correctable without adversely affecting the export orientation of the country's development strategy.