According to South Africa’s “Cape Times” report, Gary Knight, president of the South African Supply Chain Management Agency, told member companies of the KwaZulu-Natal Textile and Apparel Industry Organization in the Durban region that South Africa’s textile and apparel manufacturers must have a A more efficient supply chain strategy to catch up with international peers.
Member companies of the KwaZulu-Natal organization have benefited from the implementation of the Textile and Clothing Competitiveness Program (CTCP). The organization recommends that member companies analyze air freight costs for textiles and clothing and do more research on supply chain solutions. These studies include certification of information technology systems and customs import procedures. Knight said: “These details are important because this is a key element for the country’s garment industry to compete with other global competitors and save costs.” The CTCP plan includes two parts: a production incentive plan and a competitiveness enhancement plan, which is managed by the South African Department of Industry and Trade. Support, and has been implemented in some member companies of the KwaZulu-Natal organization, is committed to promoting local retailer member companies to focus on improving the advantages of product production, processing and logistics efficiency, and promoting them through professional training and experience exchange and other activities Member companies improve their competitiveness.
Knight said that the business management departments of the apparel and textile industry must support the operation of the supply chain and execute it personally. The operating department has not always paid much attention to this area, often leaving this department to third parties for management. Therefore, this kind of business competition is fierce. He encouraged member companies to share costs, such as transportation costs, quality control system costs and other costs, which could make supply chains operate more efficiently and conveniently.
It is reported that member companies such as Allwear, Celrose Clothing, DurbanOverall, Eddels, Zorbate and Saddler Belts & LeatherCraft have received support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Two weeks ago, South Africa’s Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davis said at the start of the implementation of the 2013~2014 Industrial Policy Action Plan in Sandton, Johannesburg that through this plan, South Africa’s clothing, textile, leather and footwear industries will be able to development has taken a turn for the better. He said: “The competitiveness improvement plan will halt the downward trend in employment rates and has already created 12,205 new jobs.”
It is understood that retailers have also begun to purchase locally to support the development of the local textile and apparel manufacturing industry. One example is the Foschini Group’s reduction plan, and PrestigeClothing also participates in the CTCP plan. It is understood that currently, the South African Department of Trade and Industry has helped 469 textile, clothing and footwear companies through this program. The department said that in the next three years, the output of shoe companies will increase from 52 million pairs to 100 million pairs.
Local retailers promise to source products locally as much as possible to support domestic manufacturers. Through the production capacity building project, the KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Cluster has helped nine companies improve their competitiveness by participating in professional training and peer exchanges. Mike Wood, chairman of KwaZulu-Natal, said the planned project will last for four years, while the local textile and clothing industry cluster in KwaZulu-Natal will last two years in the plan.
Wood hopes that textile and apparel companies can make more improvements in the next two years. He said: “Many companies in South Africa have now tried to give up competition with their opponents, especially competitors from Asia. But local clothing companies understand local consumer demand better than international companies. This is their advantage, and it also means that They will be able to provide better services to the market in the future.
