Sustainable Textile and Apparel Cluster being planned in South Africa

The Southern African Sustainable Textile and Apparel Cluster (Sastac) is being planned to improve the industry’s competitiveness while uniting it under an umbrella body. To build this Sastac a grant of R200 million and a five year plan has been approved by the South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry According to Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies, the cluster would work to maximise production and beneficiation using local raw materials, "starting with cotton and then broadening its scope to include all other natural and synthetic fibres", while incubating opportunities for small business participation and job creation throughout the value chain, "from farm to retail". Also, at the end of the initial five-year plan, the industry should have created between 7 000 and 8 000 jobs, as well as seen an active participation of about 600 newly formed small, medium and micro enterprises. Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said that the initiative sought to build the capacity of South Africa’s industry to supply local and international consumers with fully traceable sustainable apparel and household textile products. This would include supplying textile and apparel products that hold to the 100% local content requirement for procurement by local government. Heinrich Schultz, the newly appointed manager of the cluster said that that Sastac would oversee about eight existing sub-clusters across the industry, helping to "mend a highly fragmented industry". The cluster will work with retailers to help the government with tracing goods and overcoming non-compliance within the industry.