Malawi is set to strengthen its trade and export capacity following the launch of a national trade and distribution platform by Africa Trade and Distribution Company Limited (ATDC) in partnership with Press Corporation plc.
The platform, ATDC Malawi, was unveiled after the two institutions signed a joint venture agreement in Alamein, Egypt, on the sidelines of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) board meetings, as part of efforts to expand intra-African trade and strengthen regional value chains.
In a statement, the bank said the initiative will focus on commodity aggregation, warehousing, exports, strategic imports, structured trade finance, collateral management, cold-chain and logistics infrastructure, value addition and trade intelligence to improve Malawi’s trade competitiveness.
Afreximbank executive vice-president for Intra- African Trade and Export Development Kanayo Awani said the new platform will help build the trade infrastructure needed to drive industrialisation, value addition and export growth by connecting African producers to markets and expanding access to trade finance.
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Press Corporation plc group chief executive officer Ronald Mangani is quoted in the statement as having said the partnership combines the company’s commercial capacity with ATDC’s continental trading network to create new opportunities for Malawian producers and businesses.
He 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.”
The move comes at a time Afreximbank’s 2026 Africa Trade Report shows Africa’s merchandise trade grew by 6.1 percent to about $1.5 trillion, while intra- African trade increased by 5.5 percent to $213.8 billion, although trade finance gaps, infrastructure deficits and limited value addition continue to constrain growth.
ATDC Malawi is the third national platform established by the bank after Egypt and Zimbabwe, with Afreximbank planning to operationalise seven such entities across Africa by the end of 2026 to support implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
