Standard Bank Malawi has sponsored the Malawi Pavilion at the upcoming Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 with a financial contribution of US$10,000, channelled through the Export Development Fund (EDF). The funds will support the construction of the pavilion, which will serve as the country’s official exhibition space at the event.
EDF is supporting the Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC), which is coordinating Malawi’s participation at the trade fair scheduled to take place from 4-10 September in Algiers, Algeria. The pavilion will showcase Malawian products and services, providing a space for local businesses to engage with buyers and investors from across Africa.

The Export Development Fund (EDF) has received an 'A' rating for development impact following a peer review assessment by the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI). EDF has been awarded the Prudential Standards and Guidelines Rating System (PSGRS) Rating Award for achieving a performance result of A in the 2024 PSGRS Rating exercise. The ‘A’ rating is based on EDF’s 83% compliance score with the PSGRS, a framework introduced in 2020 by AADFI to evaluate the performance of development finance institutions in Africa.

The United Kingdom has introduced a new trade scheme that grants Malawi duty-free, quota-free access to 99.8% of its exports to the UK, a move expected to boost Malawi’s export sector.

The Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), launched in 2023, replaces the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) that previously governed Malawi-UK trade. The DCTS offers simpler rules, including relaxed rules of origin, which allow Malawian exporters to use up to 75% imported inputs in their products without losing preferential access.

Malawi’s trade with the UK has historically shown a trade deficit, with the country consistently importing more than it exports. In 2023, Malawi’s exports to the UK reached USD 39 million, dominated by tea, edible fruits, nuts, and essential oils.