By Tendai Chisiri
New joint ventures expected to boost regional trade, value chains, and SME market access
HARARE — Africa Trade and Distribution Company Limited, ATDC, a subsidiary of African Export-Import Bank, Afreximbank, has signed agreements to launch national trade and distribution platforms in Zimbabwe and Malawi.
The agreements were signed on July 30, 2026, in Alamein, Egypt, on the sidelines of Afreximbank Board Meetings.
National ATDC Zimbabwe is a joint venture between ATDC and CBZ Agro Yield, a member of CBZ Holdings Ltd. ATDC Malawi is a joint venture between ATDC and Press Corporation Plc, Malawi’s largest conglomerate.
According to Afreximbank, the new platforms are part of a broader strategy to build country-level trading, logistics and distribution systems that strengthen African value chains and expand intra-African trade.
Focus for Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, National ATDC will focus on commodity aggregation, export development, warehousing, logistics, supplier-buyer linkages, market intelligence, and support for SMEs and emerging exporters.
The platform is expected to strengthen agricultural and industrial value chains, improve market access for local businesses, attract investment, and position Zimbabwe as a competitive export hub.
Focus for Malawi
ATDC Malawi will focus on commodity trading, aggregation, warehousing, exports, strategic imports, structured trade finance, cold chain and logistics infrastructure, value addition, and trade intelligence.
The platform aims to improve logistics efficiency, attract investment into trade infrastructure, and create new market opportunities for Malawian businesses.
The launch brings to three the number of National ATDC entities after ATDC Egypt was incorporated earlier this year. ATDC plans to operationalise seven national entities across Africa by the end of 2026, with further rollout in 2027.
Why it matters
Afreximbank’s 2026 Africa Trade Report notes that Africa’s merchandise trade grew by 6.1% to about US$1.5 trillion, while intra-African trade grew by 5.5% to about US$213.8 billion.
The report also highlights gaps in trade finance, infrastructure, and value addition — challenges the new platforms are designed to address.
“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 Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development, Afreximbank.
Mr. Stewart Makura, CEO of ATDC, said the entities will “combine local market knowledge with ATDC’s pan-African trading network” to help producers overcome scale, logistics and market-access constraints.
Mr. Wellington Mutizwa, General Manager of CBZ Agro Yield, said the Zimbabwe platform will “help aggregate output, support producers with market access and logistics, and create stronger pathways for Zimbabwean products to reach regional and international markets.”
Dr. Ronald Mangani, CEO of Press Corporation Plc, said the Malawi partnership will support “the aggregation, processing and movement of Malawian products into regional and global markets.”
Senior executives from Afreximbank, CBZ Holdings, and Press Corporation Plc attended the signing, along with Prof. Benedict Oramah, Chairman of ATDC.
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