Cape Town-based TCI Apparel has taken decisive action to play its role in the supply of essential medical equipment in the fight against Covid-19 .
The company has come up with innovative new ways of meeting social distancing standards at its factories in order to keep the wheels turning.
It’s working on its second order of surgical gowns for the phytology services industry while also completing an order of face masks for big retailers. It manufactures around 500 000 masks per week and will soon start working on an order for 1 000 000 aprons, surgical gowns and coveralls for a large hospital chain.
TCI is part of a group of factories that signed a collective agreement with the bargaining council to supply 45 million masks to the Department of Education.
The company is sub-contracting where necessary to other suppliers, including small businesses.
According to the city’s mayoral committee member for economic opportunities and asset management, Alderman James Vos, who conducted a site visit to the factory earlier this week, the city provides approximately R10 million per annum in funding support to the clothing and textile sector.