South Africa is offering incentives to the textile and clothing sector. And part of the plan is to tighten control on imports and raise tariffs to the maximum level.

The main aim of the South African textile and clothing industry is to use all natural, human and technological resources at its disposal to make it the preferred international supplier of textiles and apparel. Although the industry is small, it is well placed to make this vision a reality.

Owing to technological developments that are closing the major product gaps, local textile production has evolved into a capital-intensive industry, producing synthetic fibers in ever-increasing proportions.

The apparel industry has also undergone significant technological change and has benefited from the country’s sophisticated transport and communications infrastructure. Some regions are renowned for a high fashion orientation while others focus on the mass market.

The South African clothing and textile industry offers the full range of services – from natural and synthetic fiber production to non-wovens, spinning, weaving, tufting, knitting, dyeing and finishing. Manufacturers are benefitting from retailers’ growing demand for locally made goods as the need for fast fashion takes hold. In order to keep up with latest trends, retailers have to source their products locally to have shorter lead times from design to delivery. As much as 25 to 30 per cent of locally sold clothing is manufactured domestically.