Need for textile school - Tokky Hou

MATSAPHA - The country needs a textile school in order for the industry to grow and hire emaSwati in managerial positions, instead of employing expatriates.

This is according to the Eswatini Textile and Apparel Traders Association (ETATA) Chairperson Tokky Hou, who is the Managing Director (MD) of Far East Textile. The chairperson said as an industry, they appreciated the visit by government, in particular the Ministry of Labour and Social Security because it shows that the administration values them.

She said in their discussions, they talked about what could make the industry grow and have more emaSwati, who could follow in her footsteps by operating factories in the country.

In that regard, she highlighted to the minister and his team, that the industry was in great need of a textile school, where emaSwati, young and old together with those who are educated and uneducated, would acquire the skills required in the sector.

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She said once they have the school, more investors in the industry could be keen to invest in the country because they would know that there was skilled labour. In that regard, she said the industry would grow as more international brands would be produced locally.

Currently, she said when a new company comes into the country, it gets skilled labour force by poaching workers from other factories and that delays growth because they have to start afresh - hiring new unskilled staff members. Again, she said if emaSwati could get the right skills from a textile school, it would be easier for them to climb the ladder and occupy managerial positions. She said currently, most managerial positions were occupied by expatiates, as local people do not have the required skills.

Furthermore, he said after occupying managerial positions in the factories, they would get more knowledge about the operations in the industry and it would be easier for them to open their own companies.

It is worth noting that the textile and apparel sector in the country have employed about 22 000 emaSwati and most of the textile companies were operated by business people mainly from the Republic of China or Taiwan and South Africa.

Minister Phila Buthelezi shaking hands with Far East Textile MD Tokky Hou after the courtesy visit at the textile factory, while some of the staff members look on.