Zimbabwe is set to benefit from the €11 million funds set up by the European Union to revive its clothing and textile industry. Under the Cotton to Clothing Strategy, the European Development Fund has made available several resources to African countries. Zimbabwe is in the second and last stage for considerations which is expected to be finalised and polished before being launched on September 4, 2014. Zimbabwe held a second consultative workshop on Cotton to Clothing Strategy for the country. This step is expected to assist revival of the entire cotton value chain. Additionally, the EU has also launched a new program called Support for the Consolidation of the Action Framework under the EU-Africa Partnership on cotton.

Zimbabwe was also set to benefit from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) €4.8 million and another €1 million allocation as a part of the regional economic integration efforts to support Zimbabwe. The textile and clothing subsectors were contributing two per cent to the country’s gross domestic product from 5 per cent in the 90’s. At its peak, the industry used to employ over 35, 000 workers.