The government’s latest
moves to support the ailing
local textile and apparel
industry – battered by cutthroat
pricing from cheaplabour
and subsidised
Asian producers – have met
with support from the SA
manufacturers.
This help takes the form
of a R200-million
grant fund
and a five-year
plan for the
establishment
of a national
cluster devised
by the department of
trade and industry
(dti).
This, according
to minister Dr
Rob Davies, is
designed “to
leapfrog local
industry’s
competitiveness
capability
in global,
sustainable
textile and
apparel
manufacturing”.
The
cluster initiative
is funded through
the competitiveness
improvement programme
(CIP) as part of the
overall clothing and
textiles competitiveness
programme (CTCP).
And the cluster
concept has met
with particular
support from
the industry,
according
to Brian
Brink, CEO of the Textile
Federation, who thought
that it would achieve its
objectives in certain focus
areas.
“The cluster concept tries
to get companies to work
together to solve particular
issues,” he told FTW.
And certain of these
co-operative combines have
already started to appear
on the scene, he added.
Under
the overall
body, the SA
Sustainable
Textile and
Apparel Cluster
– representing the
entire industry value
chain from fibre to
end use product –
two sub-clusters
have been formed
so far.
One is the
Cotton Cluster,
a co-operative
grouping of
the various
sectors in
this particular
product
area – with
input from the
cotton growers to the
spinners and weavers
and apparel designers
and manufacturers to the
marketing segment.
Another is a regional
grouping, being the
KwaZulu Natal Clothing
and Textile Cluster.
The overall
intention of the
cluster initiative,
according to
Davies, is
to build and
improve the capacity in
the SA textile and apparel
industry value chain.
“It’s definitely a positive
move,” said Brink, “with
government putting money
into various interventions.”
And this funding will
operate on the basis that, in
year one, these will be 100%
state-funded, he added.
“In year two it will be 10%
industry funded, until by
year five it will be 100%
industry-funded. But it will
be profitable.”
One such intervention was
the launch of the compliance
sector two weeks ago.
“This,” Brink said, “will
see the industry working
together with the dti and
customs to combat illegal
imports and ensure that
users don’t buy such import
clothing.
“Although at this early
stage it has not yet started
off.”
Brink also noted that a
lot of other interventions
and initiatives were in the
pipeline.
INSERT
Grant designed
to leapfrog
local industry’s
competitiveness
capability in
global, sustainable
textile and apparel
manufacturing.
– Dr Rob Davies
