Over recent years there has been an increasing amount of interest in Africa as a continent with immense resources and potential. Ethiopia in particular has been singled out as a land of growth and investment opportunity.
Ethiopia grows some of the world’s finest cotton and has a rich textile spinning and weaving history, yet it’s importance on a global scale remains insignificant.
With several government incentives in place, a priority given towards developing the textile and clothing industry across the value chain, a viable business environment and duty free market access to both US and EU, Ethiopia is now beginning to attract international buyers and investors, as this report demonstrates.
Having experienced approximately 8% GDP growth consistently since 2008 and a stable political framework since 1995, it still remains largely un-touched, un-explored and un-tapped.
“We have 3 million hectares available to grow cotton but we are using only about 6 to 7 percent of this resource. You can imagine the potential that we have in this segment.” Seleshi Lemma, Director General Textile Industry Development Institute.
The report sets the scene on one of the oldest countries in the world, now the fourth largest and second fastest growing economy in Sub Saharan Africa.
It will show how the textile and garment sector in Ethiopia has set ambitious targets to expand rapidly by 2015.
The textile and clothing sector is considered as the key priority sector of the Government‘s Industrial Development Strategy as part of the Growth and Transformation Plan
With a vision to become a world – class institute by 2024, TIDI’s mission (The Textile Industry Development Institute of Ethiopia) is to enable the Ethiopian textile industry to compete globally by providing sustained investment promotion, consultancy, training, research, laboratory and marketing support and services.
One of Ethiopia’s strategic objectives is to increase product diversity and product categories across various parts of the value chain to build the backward integration and to open new market access opportunities.
Already we are seeing Several Ethiopian designers making it onto the regional and international fashion stage.
Expect to see “Made in Ethiopia” emerging more and more over the coming years.
Source:http://www.just-style.com/market-research/ethiopia-the-emerging-textile-and-clothing-industry_id196030.aspx?lk=ea
