Online Reporter
Nelson Gahadza
Senior Business Reporter
CBZ Bank says the African Export-Import Bank’s Africa Trade Gateway platform aligns with its medium and long-term vision to transform trade finance in Zimbabwe.
The Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), established in 2023, is a digital platform meant to accelerate the implementation of intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
This digital trade window combines five digital platforms merged into a single window to enhance the bank’s capacity to boost continental free trade.
ATG Connect connects business service providers across Africa, providing freight and logistics connectivity solutions, allowing for frictionless matching of freight/logistics requests with providers listed on the platform.
CBZ has been driving growth in trade finance, emphasising its importance in promoting economic growth.
Mr Phibeon Mutibura, an executive in corporate banking at CBZ Bank, speaking at the ATG Onboarding walkthrough breakfast meeting in Harare yesterday, said the ATG was not just a platform, but also a gateway to a new era of trade efficiency, scalability, transparency and inclusivity.
“For us as a bank, the ATG is not just another digital platform; it is a strategic enabler that aligns with our medium- and long-term vision to transform trade finance and position our clients for success in a rapidly evolving marketplace,” he said.
Mr Mutibura added that ATG digitises the entire trade value chain from documentation, compliance checks, payment processing to settlement, thereby reducing manual intervention and errors.
“Our goal is to provide a seamless, intuitive and secure experience, and ATG also allows us to integrate our trade finance products into a single digital ecosystem,” he said.
Further, he highlighted that ATG is a practical tool to operationalise the AfCFTA by connecting businesses across borders and harmonising trade processes.
Mr Mutibura highlighted that Africa is at a pivotal moment with the AfCFTA now in motion, under which Zimbabwe is a member.
“We have a historic opportunity to unlock a single market of over 1,4 billion people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of more than US$3 trillion.
But to fully realise this potential, we must overcome long-standing barriers, chief among them fragmented markets, high transaction costs and limited access to trade finance,” he said.
He also said that as trade volumes increased, manual processes became bottlenecks; hence, ATG offered scalability, allowing the bank to handle higher transaction volumes without compromising speed or security.
Mr Mutibura added that ATG brings together banks, regulators, logistics providers and businesses on one platform, creating a collaborative environment that benefits all stakeholders.
“ATG connects customers to a trusted network of importers, exporters, and service providers across Africa and beyond, opening doors to new markets without the need for physical presence.
“While mainly focused on Africa, ATG also links to international trade corridors, enabling you to source competitively and sell globally,” he said.
He added that the platform offers market intelligence through providing access to real-time data on trade flows, pricing trends, and demand patterns to make informed decisions.
He noted that it tracks trade activities, identifies bottlenecks and optimises supply chains.
“We have a historic opportunity to unlock a single market of over 1,4 billion people and a combined GDP of more than US$3 trillion. But to fully realize this potential, we must overcome long-standing barriers, chief among them fragmented markets, high transaction costs and limited access to trade finance,”
