[9] Although Cape Maclear had a good harbour, the poor soil in the area, and the prevalence of the tsetse fly, meant a more suitable base had to be found;[10] the mission moved to Bandawe, near Chintheche, in 1882.

In October 2001, the Malawian government invited investors to fund a $6,000,000 construction of a new 150-room, four-star hotel at Cape Maclear.

[19] In February 2005, the Malawian government announced plans to increase ecotourism at Cape Maclear with new accommodation and facilities.

In February 2006, the Malawian government announced plans to build a new road from Cape Maclear to Monkey Bay.

[23] Regular bus service extends only from Lilongwe to Monkey Bay where private minibuses can be hired for the trip to Cape Maclear.

Mags Riordan, who founded the clinic, is the mother of a man who drowned in Lake Malawi, near Cape Maclear in 1999.