Patel praises SA retailers for supporting local manufacturers, but says still room for improvement
Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel was speaking to journalists in Cape Town on Thursday, reflecting on the work done to revive the country's ailing clothing and textile industries.
Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel briefs the media on the Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference on 18 March 2024. Picture: GCIS
CAPE TOWN - Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel has praised South African retailers for supporting local manufacturers.
Patel was speaking to journalists in Cape Town on Thursday, reflecting on the work done to revive the country's ailing clothing and textile industries.
A Retail, Clothing, Textile, Footwear, and Leather master plan was implemented in 2019, to grow local industries.
Patel told reporters that over the last five years, South African retailers had increased the number of locally manufactured goods they buy.
"Indeed we've had a 51% increase in the number of local units that have been bought from South African companies in a number of key products that we've identified for localisation."
Patel said there's still room for improvement in certain areas.
"One is to see how we can strengthen footwear production in South Africa - it's an area that can create many jobs. The second one is to see in the clothing sector if can we identify additional products that can be localised."