The Sunday News
Roberta Katunga Senior Business Reporter
A DELEGATION from ZimTrade and the Zimbabwe Clothing Manufacturers’ Association (ZCMA) is set to participate at the annual pan-African textile, clothing and footwear trade event, Source Africa, to be held in South Africa.The event will be held from 18 to 22 June in Cape Town.
ZimTrade in its weekly bulletin said participating in this event was aimed at consolidating as well as building on the momentum gained last year.
“ZCMA will showcase the capability of the Zimbabwean clothing industry to manufacture quality products in a socially responsible environment. Two clothing manufacturers, who are members of the Association, Bernstein Clothing and Justine Clothing, will also participate and display their range of quality clothing products,” said ZimTrade.
Source Africa, the African Textile, Apparel and Footwear Trade Event, is a sector-specific exhibition which showcases the quality, creativity, reliability and sophistication of manufacturing in Africa to a global audience of international buyers, business leaders and decision makers from the USA, EU, Asia and the African continent, among others.
ZimTrade said it was important to attend this event as it also includes business seminars, which will, among other issues, highlight the textile and apparel investment opportunities in the region as well as explain what buyers expect from suppliers.
“More than 180 exhibitors are expected to display their products and services at this event. The show provides a platform for linkages between buyers, manufacturers, suppliers and investors,” said ZimTrade.
According to Source Africa, as a value addition to the Source Trade Show, all participants would be included in the online business matchmaking programme which will open three weeks prior to the show.
“By effectively combining online technology, together with a team of business matchmakers, event participants will automatically be profiled and provided access to an online matchmaking calendar with the ability to view and select exactly who they want to meet.
The matchmaking will provide a networking opportunity for buyers, manufacturers and suppliers to explore business prospects”, said the organisers.
ZCMA chairman Mr Jeremy Youmans said attending Source Africa for the second time was important for the country as last year they created a lot of interest and awareness in what the country could do.
“Bersteins will be showing off their range of formal and casual wear, especially their world famous Van Heusen shirts. Justine Clothing will be displaying a range of menswear, ladies wear and children’s wear they produce. ZCMA and ZimTrade will be promoting all the 105 members in the clothing sector, plus Zimbabwe in general with input from Zimbabwe Investment Authority and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority. In particular we will be showcasing the high level of social accountability within our industries to all the participants at the event,” said Mr Youmans.
He said attending Source Africa was a way of managing perceptions people had on Zimbabwe and an opportunity to tell the country’s story and be able to demonstrate that most perceptions were false.
“Zimbabwe has a poor image in the international world and a general belief that we will be unable to deliver, let alone produce, anything. So we need to tell our story and be able to demonstrate that most perceptions are false and we are in fact, “probably the most socially responsible clothing industry in the world” (one of the slogans we will be using), so that we may be able to attract further trade and investment opportunities into the sector,” said Mr Youmans.
The clothing sector is home to 6 800 employees from a peak in 1994 of 35 000.
The textile industry is down to 3 000 from a peak of 18 000.
Mr Youmans said he believed they could get the clothing industry back to 35 000 within five years and that this would be the driver to build the whole cotton value added chain right back to the cotton farmer.
He said they were working closely with all stakeholders.
“This includes the fashion industry, tertiary education institutions, Zimra, Government etc. Progress is slow but we remain determined to achieve our goal, one stitch at a time,” he said.
The textile and clothing sub-sectors continue to play a significant role in the Zimbabwean economy as an employer and export revenue generator, despite the prevailing harsh economic climate that has also negatively impacted on the sector.
The sub-sectors have contributed about six percent to total export earnings since dollarisation in 2009.
Despite closure and struggles being faced by some companies in this sector, other companies are still thriving.
Paramount Garments is in the process of taking over Archer Clothing in Bulawayo which was placed under provisional liquidation although the process has been slow.
Judicial manager Mr Phillip Ndlovu attributed the delays to the legal process and said papers had been filed with the courts.
“I cannot really comment on the issue as it is now a matter within the courts but I can assure you that the court is doing its best to conclude this issue. I understand that it is frustrating to the parties involved but we will give you additional information when we get it,” said Mr Ndlovu.
