CAPE TOWN: The government believes the clothing, textile, footwear and leather sector has stabilised. Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Tuesday the sector, which had bled thousands of jobs in previous years, was beginning to reap the benefits of a number of government interventions such as the Clothing and Textile Competitiveness Programme, which was introduced in 2010.
It is meant to ensure the sector’s survival despite the onset of competition, mainly from China. At least 50,000 jobs were lost in the sector in the past decade. The Industrial Policy Action Plan has identified the textile, clothing, leather and footwear sector as “high priority” because of its labour-intensive character. In many developing countries, the sector has provided the early impetus for industrialisation, economic growth and job creation.
Addressing delegates at the Fashion Imbizo in Cape Town organised by the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu), Mr Patel said more factories were hiring than were retrenching. Law enforcement had tightened the screws to curb illegal imports.
While clothing is a big job creator, providing more jobs than any other manufacturing sector, innovation would be key for its survival, Mr Patel said. “Therefore as government we will support companies that want to invest in modernising their workplaces.”
