Johannesburg - In the current socio-economic and political climate, we are all desperate for a bit of good news. South Africa’s clothing and textile industry gives us just that.
Not only has it stabilised following an onslaught of Chinese products after we inexplicably decided to open up our markets and offer no protection to the local industry, jobs are on the increase and factories are opening their doors again.
We decided to focus on the clothing, textiles, footwear and leather (CTFL) sector for this edition of the Independent World of Work because while its turnaround is still embryonic, the potential for growth and job creation in the sector is huge.
Clothing and textile is the most labour-intensive sector in manufacturing, and its potential for mass employment - the kind that makes a sizeable dent on our endemic joblessness - is very exciting.
This article was originally published on Independent Media’s World of Work website. To read the full story, please click here.