Stakeholders at the Export Development Fund’s engagement forum held on  16th October 2024, have agreed that collaboration is key to unlocking  the country’s international competitiveness. This is against the backdrop that Malawi needs to take advantage of the immense trade opportunities especially those presented by the African Continental Free Trade area which consist of a market of over 1.4 billion people and GDP of $3.4 trillion.

His Excellency, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi, recently launched the Magwero Industrial Park project in Lilongwe. The launch event took place on 1^st June 2024 in Magwero, Lilongwe and was attended by Mr. Gagan Gupta, President-Founder of ARISE IIP, and Prof. Benedict Okey Oramah, President of Afreximbank.

The launch event is a follow up to a contract signed in June 2023, between the Government of Malawi, represented by the Export Development Fund (EDF), and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP). Under a public-private partnership, this agreement defines the development of an integrated industrial park in area 55, Lilongwe.

Export Development Fund (EDF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Afreximbank, and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms, recently hosted a Business Roundtable Discussion focused on advancing Malawi’s export manufacturing sector to stimulate economic growth and development. The event provided a collaborative platform for business leaders and policymakers to share insights, discuss challenges, and identify actionable strategies for boosting export manufacturing, particularly through the utilization of special economic zones (SEZs).