Clothing and textile sector back on track

Minister in the
Presidency Jeff Radebe
last week confirmed
industry predictions
that the clothing,
textile, leather and
footwear manufacturing
sector was clawing
its way back into
contention. This after it
took a significant knock
from the inf lux of cheap
Chinese imports in the
early 2000s.
Briefing the media
last Friday on the
outcomes of the Cabinet
meeting – which
included the approval
of the eighth iteration
of the Industrial Policy
Action Plan (IPAP)
2016/17 to 2018/19
– Radebe said that
approximately 67 000
jobs in that sector had
been saved last year and
an estimated
7 000 “new decent jobs”
created.
“More than R600m
was injected into
SA’s manufacturing
sector last year, a large
proportion of which
was earmarked for the
clothing, textile, leather
and footwear sector,”
said Radebe.
The minister added
that the IPAP) 2016/17-
2018/19 – a key pillar
of the president’s ninepoint
plan – was focused
on achieving “a higher
impact industrial policy
in difficult economic
circumstances” which
included the ongoing
effects of the global
economic recession,
the steel crisis and
commodity slump,
as well as the severe
drought and other
significant domestic
constraints.
CAPTION
Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation,
Jeff Radebe.