The textile industry in sub Saharan Africa provides a large portion of employment for many men and women. However the employee turnover in this industry fluctuates quite drastically which makes me wonder why Africa has failed to put itself on the map when it comes to having dominance in this industry. African materials go beyond just the actual cloth and express a story, mainly through colour and patterns. We have a continent rich in heritage, culture, tradition etc and have failed to put that on a world class level through our clothing.
Many African countries have depended on import substitution and focused mainly on the domestic market, which brought about several discrepancies, one of them being unable to compete internationally. This means that many of the threads produced this side are hardly exported and cannot achieve international acclaim.
South Africa exports mainly from Asia. I’m pretty sure you own several items of clothing that have the well known tag line “made in China.” This has resulted in a reduction of labour, outsourcing part of our production or even shutting down of firms in our land.
Now my concern in all of this is about the future of South Africa and even Africa as a whole with regard to its textile and clothing industry. Earlier on I mentioned the fact that many of our our materials exude a culture and heritage like no other continent. If we were smart enough we would use that as a gateway into clothing and fashion on a wider scope.
Of late there is a demanding market for materials with traditional African prints which means there is a gap in this market. Many American/European fashionistas are indulging on African inspired looks, so I challenge you to ask yourself, who better else but for Africa herself to create an export industry that will satisfy this gap?
