Purpose The construction industry in Sub-Saharan Africa faces sustainability challenges because of resource constraints, population growth and urbanization. Despite global emphasis on sustainability, empirical comparisons of sustainable construction practices in low- and middle-income nations remain scarce. The purpose of this study is to address this gap by comparing sustainable construction practices in Malawi and Tanzania. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional quantitative approach was used, identifying 24 sustainable construction practices through literature review and expert validation. Data from 213 construction professionals was analyzed using mean-score analysis, standard deviation and the Mann–Whitney U test. Findings Significant differences in nine sustainable practices, mainly in the social dimension, highlight regional variations in sustainability priorities. Malawi emphasized social sustainability, while Tanzania demonstrated a balanced focus on socio-economic and environmental aspects. Practical implications Policymakers should enforce health, safety and community engagement standards in construction. Practitioners must enhance social sustainability efforts and build capacity for whole-life costing and environmental practices. Regional differences in sustainability priorities highlight the need for context-specific policies and greater cooperation to align sustainability standards across countries. Originality/value This study provides an in-depth comparison of sustainable construction practices within Malawi and Tanzania, addressing a noteworthy gap in empirical study on low- and middle-income developing nations. By focusing on two nations of Sub-Saharan African, this study provides a glimpse into how regional variations impact the prioritization of sustainability dimensions.
Luvara et al. (Thu,) studied this question.