CAIRO, Egypt (XOL Africa) — The Africa Trade and Distribution Company Limited (ATDC), a subsidiary of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), has launched new national trade and distribution platforms in Zimbabwe and Malawi as part of efforts to strengthen regional trade, improve market access and support African value chains.
The agreements to establish National ATDC Zimbabwe and National ATDC Malawi were signed in Alamein, Egypt, on the sidelines of Afreximbank’s Board Meetings.
National ATDC Zimbabwe will operate as a joint venture between ATDC and CBZ Agro Yield, a subsidiary of CBZ Holdings Ltd., while National ATDC Malawi will be established through a partnership between ATDC and Press Corporation Plc, Malawi’s largest conglomerate.
ATDC Chief Operating Officer Nikhil Poonevala signed the agreements on behalf of ATDC, while CBZ Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Nyazema and Press Corporation Chief Executive Officer Ronald Mangani signed for their respective institutions.
The two platforms bring the number of National ATDC entities to three, following the establishment of ATDC Egypt earlier in 2026. The company plans to establish seven national platforms across Africa by the end of 2026, with further expansion expected in 2027.
Afreximbank said the platforms are designed to address market fragmentation affecting producers, processors and exporters by improving access to logistics, warehousing, trade finance, market intelligence and regional and international buyers.
National ATDC Zimbabwe will focus on commodity aggregation, export development, market intelligence, warehousing, logistics, supplier-buyer connections and support for small and medium-sized enterprises and emerging exporters.
The platform is expected to strengthen Zimbabwe’s agricultural and industrial value chains, improve market access for local businesses and position the country as a competitive export hub.
National ATDC Malawi will focus on commodity trading, aggregation, exports, strategic imports, structured trade finance, cold-chain infrastructure, collateral management, value addition and trade intelligence.
Officials said the platform will support Malawi’s manufacturing and commodity sectors, improve logistics efficiency and create new opportunities for local businesses to participate in regional and global markets.
Kanayo Awani, Afreximbank’s Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development, said the partnerships represent a key step in building the infrastructure needed to expand African trade.
“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,” Awani said.
“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.”
ATDC Chief Executive Officer Stewart Makura said the platforms would combine local expertise with a continental trading network to help businesses overcome challenges related to scale, logistics and market access.
“ATDC is building the operating architecture for African trade,” Makura said.
“National ATDC Zimbabwe and National ATDC Malawi will allow us to combine local market knowledge with ATDC’s pan-African trading network, helping producers overcome scale, logistics and market-access constraints.”
He said the entities would serve as practical platforms for supporting trade aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), value addition and regional value-chain development.
CBZ Agro Yield General Manager Wellington Mutizwa said the Zimbabwe platform would help unlock the country’s productive potential by connecting producers to markets.
“CBZ Agro Yield is pleased to partner with ATDC in establishing a platform that speaks directly to Zimbabwe’s productive potential,” Mutizwa said.
“This partnership will help aggregate output, support producers with market access and logistics, and create stronger pathways for Zimbabwean products to reach regional and international markets.”
Press Corporation Chief Executive Officer Ronald Mangani said the Malawi platform would combine local commercial capacity with ATDC’s continental network.
“Press Corporation Plc’s partnership with ATDC brings together Malawi’s local commercial capacity and ATDC’s continental trading network,” Mangani said.
“Through ATDC Malawi, we will support the aggregation, processing and movement of Malawian products into regional and global markets, while helping to build the infrastructure and services required for more competitive trade.”
Afreximbank’s 2026 Africa Trade Report showed that Africa’s merchandise trade increased by 6.1% to about $1.5 trillion, while intra-African trade grew 5.5% to approximately $213.8 billion. However, the report highlighted continued challenges including trade finance shortages, infrastructure gaps and limited value addition.
Afreximbank said the ATDC initiative supports its broader mandate to accelerate industrialisation, promote local processing and strengthen implementation of the AfCFTA through commercially sustainable trade platforms.
The launch was attended by Afreximbank and ATDC executives, including ATDC Chairman Prof. Benedict Oramah, Afreximbank executives, representatives from CBZ Agro Yield and Press Corporation Plc, as well as members of the ATDC board.
