Afreximbank Adds Zimbabwe, Malawi to Pan-African Trade Infrastructure Network

July 31, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Africa Trade and Distribution Company Limited (ATDC), the trading subsidiary of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), is extending its network of country-level trading platforms into Zimbabwe and Malawi as part of a wider strategy to build the commercial infrastructure needed to support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The expansion will increase the number of National ATDC entities to three, following the establishment of ATDC Egypt earlier this year. The company plans to have seven national platforms operating across Africa by the end of 2026 before expanding further in 2027.

The latest entities will be created through partnerships with local companies. National ATDC Zimbabwe will operate as a joint venture with CBZ Agro Yield, part of CBZ Holdings Ltd, while National ATDC Malawi will be established with Press Corporation Plc, Malawi's largest conglomerate. The agreements were signed in El Alamein, Egypt, during Afreximbank's Board Meetings.

Rather than functioning solely as commodity trading businesses, the platforms are intended to integrate services ranging from aggregation and warehousing to logistics, market intelligence and trade finance. Afreximbank said the model is designed to address long-standing challenges facing African producers and exporters, including fragmented supply chains, inadequate storage facilities, limited access to finance and weak links to regional and international markets. The Zimbabwe platform will focus on commodity aggregation, export development, supplier-buyer linkages and support services for small and medium-sized enterprises, with the aim of strengthening agricultural and industrial value chains and improving export competitiveness. In Malawi, the platform will combine commodity trading with structured trade finance, collateral management, cold-chain logistics, value addition and strategic imports and exports to improve the efficiency of the country's trading system.

The initiative comes as intra-African commerce continues to expand. Afreximbank's 2026 Africa Trade Report estimates that merchandise trade across the continent grew 6.1 percent to approximately 1.5 trillion US dollars, while trade between African countries increased 5.5 percent to around 213.8 billion US dollars. The report identifies trade finance shortages, infrastructure deficits and limited value addition as continuing obstacles to deeper regional integration. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, said the new platforms form part of the bank's strategy to build the infrastructure required to transform regional trade.

"Through these partnerships, we are creating platforms that connect African producers to markets, facilitate trade financing and promote value addition. By working with strong local partners, we are laying the foundation for increased exports, industrialisation and local economic empowerment across the continent," she said. Stewart Makura, Chief Executive Officer of ATDC, said the country-level entities would combine local commercial expertise with the company's continental trading network to help producers overcome barriers related to logistics, scale and market access.

Source: FSX Business News