The African Export-Import Bank, Afreximbank, and the Africa Trading and Distribution Company, ATDC, have signed a $500 million Global Credit Facility to support the movement and distribution of commodities across African and global markets.
The facility will finance the purchase and aggregation of African goods, as well as logistics, transportation, warehousing and distribution costs, with the aim of strengthening trade networks and expanding access to sourcing and distribution channels across the continent.
The statement said the financing would cover various stages of the trade and distribution cycle, from purchasing and aggregating goods to the associated logistics, transportation, warehousing and distribution costs.
Beyond financing individual transactions, the facility is expected to support ATDC in developing repeatable trade corridors and expanding access to dependable sourcing and distribution networks across African markets.
It is also expected to support commercially sustainable trade flows, increase the processing of African commodities and improve the regional availability of raw materials, inputs and value-added products.
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Mrs Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, said the facility underscored the bank’s commitment to strengthening the trade, logistics and distribution infrastructure needed to realize the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.
Awani said the facility would facilitate the distribution of “Made-in-Africa” goods across the continent, deepen regional value chains and expand market access for African producers.
She added that the financing would support manufactured exports and enhance the global competitiveness of African products, describing these as critical building blocks for expanding Africa’s export footprint and driving economic transformation.
Also, Stewart Makura, Chief Executive Officer of ATDC, said reliable systems connecting producers, processors, manufacturers and markets were critical to realizing Africa’s trade potential.
Makura said the facility would strengthen ATDC’s capacity to aggregate supply, mobilize working capital and move goods efficiently across value chains.
“Together with Afreximbank, we will support stronger supply chains, value addition, import substitution and intra-African trade,” he said.
ATDC is a pan-African platform established to support the expansion of Africa’s trade, accelerate industrialization through increased local value addition and strengthen economic integration across the continent.
The company has initial operations in Egypt, Nigeria, Malawi and Zimbabwe, where it seeks to address gaps in trade and market intelligence, improve market access and support the implementation of the AfCFTA.
NAN
