Africa Trade and Distribution Company Limited (ATDC), a subsidiary of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has signed agreements to establish national trading platforms in Zimbabwe and Malawi as part of its strategy to strengthen African value chains and boost intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The agreements were signed in Alamein, Egypt, on the sidelines of Afreximbank’s Board Meetings, creating National ATDC Zimbabwe and National ATDC Malawi through joint ventures with local partners.
National ATDC Zimbabwe will be established in partnership with CBZ Agro Yield, a subsidiary of CBZ Holdings Ltd., while National ATDC Malawi will be formed jointly with Press Corporation Plc, one of Malawi’s largest conglomerates.
The launch follows the incorporation of ATDC Egypt earlier this year, bringing the total number of national ATDC entities to three. Afreximbank aims to establish seven national platforms across Africa by the end of 2026, with further expansion planned in 2027.
The Zimbabwe platform will focus on commodity aggregation, export development, warehousing, logistics, market intelligence and trade-related services, with the aim of strengthening agricultural and industrial value chains and improving export competitiveness.
Meanwhile, ATDC Malawi will support commodity trading, warehousing, strategic imports, structured trade finance, cold-chain logistics and value addition to strengthen the country’s commodity and manufacturing sectors.
According to Afreximbank, the platforms are designed to address persistent market fragmentation by aggregating supplies from small-scale producers, improving access to logistics and warehousing, facilitating trade finance and connecting African businesses with regional and international buyers.
The initiative comes as Africa continues to expand regional trade despite structural challenges.
According to Afreximbank’s 2026 Africa Trade Report, the continent’s merchandise trade grew by 6.1% to approximately $1.5 trillion, while intra-African trade increased by 5.5% to around $213.8 billion. The report also identified trade finance shortages, infrastructure gaps and limited value addition as key constraints to deeper regional integration.
“The signing of National ATDC Zimbabwe and National ATDC Malawi represents another important milestone in Afreximbank’s strategy to build the trade infrastructure required to drive Africa’s transformation,” said Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank.
“Through these partnerships, we are creating platforms that connect African producers to markets, facilitate trade financing and promote value addition,” she said.
ATDC Chief Executive Officer Stewart Makura said the new entities would combine local market expertise with ATDC’s continental trading network to help producers overcome logistics, scale and market-access constraints.
“These entities will be practical execution platforms for AfCFTA-aligned trade, value addition and regional value-chain development,” Makura said.
On his part, CBZ Agro Yield General Manager Wellington Mutizwa said the Zimbabwe platform would help improve market access for farmers, processors and small and medium-sized enterprises by strengthening export pathways.
Press Corporation Plc Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Mangani said the Malawi partnership would support the aggregation, processing and movement of Malawian products into regional and global markets while helping develop trade infrastructure.
The agreements were signed by ATDC Chief Operating Officer Nikhil Poonevala, CBZ Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Nyazema and Press Corporation Plc Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Mangani.
