Africa needs fresh momentum to bring back the textile manufacturing industry

Many countries in Africa had performed well in garment exports, with extended tentacles in the global market, but over the past years, many textile industries in African countries have collapsed or become badly distressed. However, these African countries need fresh momentum to bring back the textile manufacturing industry, writes Editor Gentechnews, Tony Nwakaegho.

According to Global manufacturing update March 2025 of Pan-Africa Manufacturers Association (PAMA) news bulletin in the 1970s and 1980s, countries such as Nigeria, Ghana and Ethiopia had thriving textile manufacturing industries that significantly contributed to both employment and Gross Domestic Product (GDP)growth.

It highlighted that many of these countries performed well in garment exports, with extended tentacles in the global market as Kenya was once the leading exporter of garments under the African Growth and Opportunity Act program.

However, over the past years, it stated that many textile industries in those countries have collapsed or become badly distressed.

According to African Manager, in North Africa, Tunisia in 2024 alone had 38 textile manufacturing industries shut down, with 219 closed within the previous five years, while Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria equally experienced disappearing textile industries.

It added that Notable giants like Egypt’s Misr Amreya Spinning and Weaving, at certain points, had no option but to scale down production.

In West Africa, the bulletin noted also witnessed the downfall of industrial giants as Nigeria’s Kaduna Textile Plc, which was once the largest textile manufacturer in the region, went down, alongside United Nigeria Textile Limited and Aba Textile Mills.

It cited instances where “Senegal’s state-backed SOTEXKA, which was formally a significant employer, shut down. Ghana’s textile production has dropped by 80% since 2005, leaving only three major factories operational (Ghana Textile Industry Report, 2022).

“Eastern and Southern Africa saw similar declines in the textile manufacturing industry. Kenya’s Kisumu Cotton Mills and Mountex (Mount Kenya Textiles) are no longer in operation.

“Tanzania’s case is no different, with the shutdown of several textile companies in the country, including the Tanzania-China Friendship Textile Company, which ceased operations in 2018, and Mafizi Textile Mill.

“In Zimbabwe, major textile firms such as David Whitehead Textiles have faced repeated closures and attempts at revival, while Zambia’s once-vibrant Mulungushi Textiles has remained largely non-operational for years.

“South Africa, despite being a regional leader, has seen a steady decrease in textile manufacturing firms. The share of the clothing and textiles sector to South Africa’s manufacturing value added has steadily declined from 5% in 1994 to approximately 3% in 2019 and further decreased to around 2% by 2022 (Industry Study, 2024).”

The African Development Bank in its 2022 report, noted that Africa on average, accounts for less than 2% of global textile and apparel exports, despite producing 10% of the world’s cotton, stressing that Africa currently needs a fresh momentum to bring back the textile manufacturing industry, a catalyst for the continent’s development.