Zambia’s textile, clothing, and leather industries have abundant investment opportunities

Zambia has a certain processing and manufacturing foundation and relatively complete infrastructure conditions, and has abundant investment opportunities in the following industries:
​●Clothing and textile production
​●Leather and leather products production
1. Textiles and clothing
Zambia has an abundant supply of cotton, and has advanced cotton ginning and spinning factories and warehouses in industrial areas in some cities, which can produce world-class cotton yarn and gray cloth, as well as various clothing. As a labor-intensive industry, the textile and garment industry can make a huge contribution to the Zambian economy by creating jobs and increasing export earnings.
Due to the introduction of modern textile technology, the production capacity of Zambia’s textile industry has been greatly improved and the product types have been greatly enriched to meet the needs of the international market. The EU is Zambia’s main export market for textiles, followed by South Africa and Mauritius. The major player in the industry is Swap Spinning Mills Plc, one of the largest producers of cotton yarn and polyester/cotton blend yarn in the Southern Africa region. The company is also one of Zambia’s largest employers in the private sector.
The textile industry has further growth potential due to Zambia’s ample local cotton supply and broad market access opportunities under the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA). Investment opportunities in the textile industry exist in multifunctional economic zones. The Zambian government is amending relevant regulations to address issues such as excessive import tariffs on inputs to the textile industry and undervaluation of imported fabrics.
2. Leather products
The by-products of animal husbandry include large amounts of animal skins, as well as final products such as leather bags, leather shoes, and leather clothing, which are in huge demand in the local and international markets. Most livestock skins used in the Zambian leather industry are tanned, but hippopotamus and crocodile skins are also used. The industry has further growth potential to meet growing export demand.