Government and manufacturers need to raise South Africa’s competitiveness and to appreciate the role that government support programmes can play in encouraging the manufacturing sector to become more export competitive.
This according to the minister of trade and industry, Rob Davies, speaking at the opening of the permanent exhibition site of the South Africa Technical Textile Cluster (SATTC) in Irene, Pretoria earlier this week.
He said the department of trade and industry (the dti) had established this cluster, and others, to ensure that members worked together in order to promote the sectors. According to him, the SATTC could benefit from government in different ways.
“First of all we have this tool of localisation which is called designation. All clothing and textile products which are procured by public entities in South Africa should come from local manufacturers using local raw materials. There is also a need for a deeper conversation with the dti on market access opportunities with some of the countries on the continent. We do have foreign economic representatives on the continent that would be of great assistance with regard to market penetration,” said Davies.
SATTC is mainly focusing on the military, police, fire fighting, navy and camping sectors.
Besides SATTC, there are three other clusters under textile and clothing on which government is also spending millions in order to promote and enhance the competitiveness of the sector. These clusters are:
• National Fashion Council
• Mohair Cluster
• South African Sustainable Textiles and Apparel Cluster
‘SA manufacturers should make more use of government support’
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