Why develop Africa’s Fashion Industry?

The fashion industry globally is expected to double in the next 10 years, generating up to US$ 5 trillion annually.

2023

2033

US$284 billion is spent every year on fashion retail through the purchase of 19 billion garments, in the USA alone.

Fashion is a
BIG business,
in Africa.

This presents a tremendous opportunity for Africa at various levels of the value chain: from design to production to marketing, the fashion industry is a profitable business.

The textile industry value chain begins with the production of cotton and moves through the spinning and twisting of the fibre into yarn, and the weaving and knitting of the yarn into the fabric to obtain the fashionable garments worn worldwide today.

At each step of the value chain, more value is added. Targeting the fashion industry means targeting the whole value chain, from the smallholder farmers to the fashion designer.

While still in its infancy, the African fashion industry has started to expand.

This is largely due to growing interest in Africa’s cultural traditions, including its vibrant hues and colourful fabrics, such as wax and printed dyed cotton and the high quality of craftsmanship in African cultures.

The industry and its designers, both on the continent and abroad, are capitalising on this situation, with Africa-inspired designs now regularly shown on the catwalks in fashion shows in Paris, London and Milan.

Additionally, demand for African fashion is likely to be further boosted by the continent’s growing urban middle class, opening up the perspective of sustainable growth for the African fashion industry.

“Fashion retail is still at a very early stage in sub-Saharan Africa: ‘Africa’s retail environments are some of the toughest in the world, given that 95% of the landscape is still made up of traditional trade outlets.”

(Nielsen, 2016, Africa’s Prospects, Macro Environment, Business, Consumer and Retail Outlook Indicators, Edition 2, February 2016.”

Investing in a high-growth sector such as the textile industry has the potential to promote women’s economic empowerment and create 25 million jobs over the next decade.

The benefit of having a textile supply chain in Nigeria, and what it would do to Nigeria.

  • Sustainable energy is now part of the production equation; each industry has a role to play. The cotton, textile and fashion industries, and agribusinesses offer the possibility of renewable energy-powered businesses and green jobs, which is a large step towards sustainable development.

    Examples include recycling textile products, minimisation of toxic substances, alternatives for existing raw materials, waste reductions, energy use reductions, renewable energy, and consideration of the product life cycle.

  • Close to 10% of the world’s cotton comes from Africa. However, most of this cotton is then taken to Asia for further manufacturing.

    Cotton production is widespread across the continent: 37 of the 54 African countries produce the crop, out of which 30 are exporters. However, the African continent accounts for only about 16% of the vast global textiles market, valued at $1.6 trillion in 2015, while Asia accounts for almost 60%.

    The development of niche cotton markets offers brighter prospects for smallholders looking for fairer market returns. For instance, organic cotton has several benefits for African producers because it provides a premium price. Organic farming is also known to cover a broader farm base, which particularly favours women farmers who are typically marginalised.

  • Africa currently accounts for just 1.9% of global manufacturing. There is an urgent need for Africa to rapidly industrialise and add value to everything that it produces, instead of exporting raw materials that make it susceptible to global price volatility.

    The fashion industry is a case in point. Instead of exporting raw cotton, Africa needs to move to the top of the global value chain and produce garments targeted at the growing African and global consumer class.

  • Regional and continental policies need to support the creative industries in order for them to grow into viable economic sectors. A reliable, high-quality supply chain is currently non-existent within Africa, where a lot of inputs are being sourced from abroad. Strategic support and investment in local manufacturers may allow African producers to enter regional, continent-wide and global supply chains.

  • Building an industry requires investments in people’s skills and qualifications.

    Achieving high-quality production flexibility while raising productivity is only possible with a workforce that has the necessary skills. As governments become increasingly aware that apparel production offers large-scale employment opportunities, they need to translate this awareness into investments in their people.

    The continent’s arts and crafts industry has always been a key aspect of tourism revenue and exports but requires more financial support from the private and public sectors to reach a globally competitive level. They have untapped potential in terms of job creation, especially for women and youth.

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