INVESTING IN FASHION CAN REVIVE TEXTILE INDUSTRY
GOVERNMENT should find ways of investing in fashion as a move to revive the collapsed industries. Fashion can help revamp the local textile industry and enable local designers compete on the international level.
Zambia has the potential of producing internationally recognised designers, but the local designers lack good material for culture industry hence they are forced to import from other African countries. The industry has the potential to gobble in billions of Kwacha and contribute positively to the tourism and economy.
It is said that these textile industries collapsed because of the second hand clothes that flooded the market. What we should know is that it is actually not all the people in the country that wear “salaula.”
We had a lot of textile industries that were in full operation around the country. These are as follows:
1. Sakiza
2. Piper Clothing 3. Kariba Textile
4. Kafue Textiles
5. Ndola Weaving 6. Swarp Spinning Mills 7. Mulungushi Textiles 8. Kabwe Tannery 9. Sereos International Government through the Industrial Development Corporation needs to work out a plan of reviving these textile industries. We have reached a level where we are not supposed to be importing things like blankets, hand bags, belts, duvets, handkerchiefs and clothes.
Zambia has the potential of clothing the entire Southern and East Africa. The information I have gathered is that the Safari Suits Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Grey Zulu used to wear were made at Piper Clothing in Ndola.
We already have European Union which is our major export market for the textile products with South Africa and Mauritius being other potential markets. The textile industry is very important to the government’s diversification agenda and manufacturers have potential to expand the existing operations as well.
The labour-intensive subsector supports value addition to cotton, which is ginned and spun in Zambia at the industriis cited. That’s why a lot of farmers should be encouraged to venture in growing cotton that can help boost this industry.
The quality cotton yam is needed for this industry to succeed. Lastly, there are a lot of things we achieve by investing in textile industries these include growth of GDP job creation and forex.