ZIMBABWE Clothing Manufacturers Association (ZCMA) will be hosting its fifth clothing Indaba in Bulawayo this month amid revelations that the sector is reeling under severe economic challenges and stiff competition caused by cheap imports.
MTHANDAZO NYONI OWN CORRESPONDENT
According to ZimTrade, the country’s export promotion body, the event will include the launch of the Zimbabwe Cotton Strategy, a European Union funded programme, which has been led by the Industry and Commerce ministry.
“The strategy involved stakeholders in the value addition chain, that is farmers, ginners, oil expressors and textile/clothing manufacturers, with technical assistance from Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and the International Trade Centre (ITC),” ZimTrade said in its weekly bulletin.
“The strategy is the most progressive work that has been done on the cotton chain.
“The launch will be officiated by the Industry and Commerce minister, Mike Bimha, the secretary-general of Comesa, Sindiso Ngwenya and the executive director of ITC, Arancha Gonzalez.”
The day will commence with the launch before stakeholders’ sessions that would include exhibitions by suppliers to the industry, business to business meetings, and end with the now highly respected ZCMA fashion show.
ZimTrade said the events had become well known for their proactive way of bringing stakeholders together to resolve problems and derive solutions to the numerous challenges being faced by industry.
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The clothing industry in Zimbabwe is well known for producing quality goods, with many companies still exporting. Locally they have lost a substantial market share to imports.
ZCMA says imported goods cost less because they are of inferior quality or do not pay the correct duties.
ZCMA chairperson, Jeremy Youmans, aid the main aim of the clothing indabas was to raise awareness of the capabilities of the local industry and to market tangible and intangible benefits of supporting, local industry.
The association is leading the lobby to support locally-manufactured goods and advocates growing local procurement and support through moral suassion and enforcing compliance with international standards.
