Date/time session Thursday May  11, 2017

3.30 -5.00p.m

Session type Parallel Session
Moderator name Eng. Ismail Taifa, Lecturer, University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)
Rapporteur name Kemi Kalikawe
Session Title Textile and Fashion Value Chain
Session Topic What are the key challenges in the textile and fashion value chain and what impact investment actions are required to promote industrialized and handcrafted garment manufacturing in the EAC regional market that meets international standards for the global market?
Venue Kivukoni Hall 2
Speakers Speaker:  Ms. Santa Anzo, MD at Arapapa Fashion House, Chair for AGOA Association of  Uganda

Speaker: Ndesumbuka Merinyo , Chairman, Tanzania Fashion Designers Association(Tanzania)

Speaker: Grace Matovolwa, Director, World of Weaving (Tanzania)

Speaker:  Johnvianney B. Ndyamukama, Senior Textile Specialist, Textile Development Unit (Tanzania)

 

1. Description of the session (max. 500 words or 1 page) – generic information including the nature of the speakers career work,  discussion in the session, main points made by each speaker and the key action points
The session highlighted the fact that there is lack of industry knowledge to enhance the development of textile and fashion industry in Tanzania. This includes the current fashion schools and universities producing students who are not market ready.  In her opinion, Grace Matovolwa, Director, World of Weaving (Tanzania) thinks the biggest challenge to the industry is  lack of professionalism in the industry. Ndesumbuka Merinyo, Chairman, Tanzania Fashion Designers Association (Tanzania), said that while the VETA curriculum has passed the competence test against standards set in the UK , the institution does not adhere to it.

 

Equipment and teachers not experienced in practice, only have

Mr.  Merinyo also pointed out that if Tanzania has a national dress, then this could develop the cotton value chain. This is because if you start with the cotton farmer, cotton ginneries, industries right up to the designer and then the domestic market.

 

Johnvianney B. Ndyamukama, Senior Textile Specialist, Textile Development Unit (Tanzania), mentioned that a levy is charged to  textile factories  in Tanzania that goes  to the Vocational Education and Training  Authority ( VETA) that covers training, operations and other garment operations, as well as a  higher education grant.  Some package has been given to DonBosco. He mentioned that the industries also offer internship for the VETA students, but key challenge is the focus of the industries is machine operator and not garment making skills.

.

 

Ms. Santa Anzo, MD at Arapapa Fashion House, Chair for AGOA Association of  Uganda,  said USAID desired to make fashion 100% value addition. To pointed out that the East African Trade and Investment Hub would like to focus on standardization, skilled man power, overhauling production to compete in numbers and quality.

 

 

2. What were the government perspectives on the issue of impact investment for the textile and fashion industry? (max. 250 words or ½ page) (provided by speakers or the audience)
The government representative said there is a new policy being written and the recommendations coming from the conference will be considered.

The representative was very keen on impact investment because there is a very small budget for the Arts ministry

We need strong well skilled tailors to make clothes for the local designers

People are looking at Ethiopia for garment production, but the experience of Touku jeans factory is what is brining investors into Tanzania. Things start hard in the factory industry but it getting much better. When you train a person in Tanzania to do last instruction the trained people in Tanzania are good as they receive less defects in their garments.

The government does not have funding for arts and culture and they are changing to impact funding, so the government is happy with the money coming in. The conference is to form formal structures to support investment funding that it will then recommend to the ministry.

3. Examples of experiences, programmes or resources out there that can contribute to improving the textile and fashion industry ecosystem  in East Africa (provided by speakers or the audience)
Ismail Taifa mentioned a university in Kenya is making their own fabric in the university factory.

The Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT)  is a good example of how the industry impact funding could work.  The SAGCOT Investment Blueprint showcases investment opportunities in the Corridor and lays out a framework of institutions and activities required to reap the development potential of the region. This Blueprint was launched by President Jakaya Kikwete at the 2011 World Economic Forum in Davos.

4. Challenges or obstacles to impact investment  in the textile and fashion design value chain in East Africa identified by speakers or the audience (max. 5 points)
1.            It is very difficult to get funding from impact investors for skills development. It has to be industrial driven (TANZANIA FASHION ASSOSIATION) as what is the need and this will be funding via grants because you can’t QUANTIFY it. People like UNIDO and Australian Fund.

2.            Shortage or lack of state-of-the-art textile factories (spinning, weaving, surface designing to printing).

3.            A weak infrastructural framework for handcrafted clothing sector. A good example is the situation in Tanzania where the hitherto active handloom cottage industry has suffered a big blow and practitioners have suffered a harsh economic decline in recent years. This has been caused by lack of proper and reliable supply of yarn for their different needs for various products, lack of loom makers and loom parts suppliers.

4.            Unsatisfactory training / educational framework for competence-based education for textiles and fashion technicians and design experts; and college education for industry educators and entrepreneurs.

5.            Dire need for empowerment of professional bodies (stakeholders’ associations) in the fashion industry. These are the proper actors and focus groups in supporting their members in their professional and business endeavors.

 

5. Examples of  opportunities  for  impact investment  in the textile and fashion design value chain in East Africa identified by speakers or the audience (max. 5 points)
·         Education

·         Textile factories

·         Garment factories

·         Incubators

·         Retailors

6. Recommendations for action required to development  support and impact investment  in the textile and fashion design value chain in East Africa (max 5 points in priority order)
6.            Inflows of capital in the form of subordinated loans or guarantees to industry players

7.            Loan guarantees for viable local investors in acquiring updated technology and machinery and engagement in partnership formations with investors from experienced / ‘developed’ economies.

8.            Revamping of small scale industries infrastructure support framework (SIDO etc), proper financing and capacity building to be directed to institutions like SIDO and SME support entities(?), direct capital injection to industry actors (the local clothing handcraft industry investors).

9.            Grant support for already established and newly established training centers and colleges e.g. VETA and VETA-approved schools offering tailoring, garment making, textile technology and fashion designing courses; and higher learning institutions offering undergraduate and graduate programs for the same. Gatsby of UK has shown the way in such kind of support

10.          Grant support for capacity building e.g. institutional capacity building, incubators and joint manufacturing initiatives for fashion designers and garment manufacturers. The focus should aim at achieving highest competence and quality of design, manufacturing, packaging and marketing within the fashion industry in the region.

 

 

7. Keywords
Education

Policy

Trade

8. Any other comments from the audience and response from Speaker/Moderator?
Ms. Santa Anzo

The Uganda textile industry

Uganda there is a much bigger challenge when it comes to the textile industries. Uganda factories like   Nyanza Textile Industries Limited (NYTIL) in Jinja, Uganda used to dress East Africa. The Yamato brand used to be big, but now the machines have gone to rust. There are fabric printers, but not using Uganda fabric. Uganda was 2nd only to Egypt in cotton production and now that is not available as well as the organic cotton that was doing well in USA and EU. They watched this die.

 

Question: If you cannot make clothes with fabric from Uganda, how do we address this?

Santa answers:

We should not only create but we should think business so when the creative side subsides you need to make what is in demand. Other countries have promoted their fabric and Ugandans want the best, so they have to use this fabric to stay relevant to the market demand.