Promoting Trade and Investment Opportunities in the African Apparel and Textiles Industry

Last month, fashion forward and culturally relevant designs were showcased at the 2013 runway shows of Africa Fashion Week here in New York City. 

Having attended the show, I was dazzled and impressed with the creativity and detail of pieces by designers like Aliakim, Demstiks by Reuben Reul, Moroccan Caftan NY, and Ms. Ray Couture, all of whose designs are shown in the images below.

Cotton was present in many of the pieces shown on the runway, and turning to comments made by Rajeev Arora, Executive Director of the African Cotton and Textile Industries Federation (ACTIF), in the recent article “Changing Perceptions Toward Modern Africa,” published in Cotton Africa and found here, offers some perspective into the current state of the African market.

“Currently, the demand for fabric in the Sub-Sahara African market far exceeds the present production and supply. Considering the economic cost in sending African cotton to Asia for processing into fabric before shipping it back to Africa to be cut and sewn into garments, ACTIF is playing a key role in cutting this cost by ensuring that the fabric is fully produced adequately in Africa.

This calls for urgency in exploring the opportunities for investing in weaving, spinning, dyeing, and finishing in the region.  In line with this achievement, African governments should be taking initiatives in creating investment-friendly regimes as currently being witnessed in the case of Ethiopia. Also there has been a remarkable increase in support by international organizations such as Business Advocacy Fund that approved its support to ACTIF in carrying out AGOA [African Growth and Opportunity Act] outreach programs.

 Other international organizations, such as Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) are also actively conducting studies on how to improve various industrial sectors including the Textile and Garment sector across Africa. 

Given the current stake, I would like to urge all stakeholders in the cotton value chain as well as supporting partners in Africa to support ACTIF’s initiatives as it represents the interests of the CTA value chain of Africa to the international market, as a viable competitor.”

And indeed, rumor has it that already here in the U.S., behind-the-scenes activities are taking place in an effort to have the AGOA agreement extended well before its 2015 expiration.

Have you heard anything about this as well?

Questions/comments?  Post below or email me at clark.deanna@gmail.com

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