A new trade show has been announced on Thursday that will exclusively showcase African textile, apparel and footwear to African and international buyers.
The event, called Source Africa, will take place from April 9 to 12 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa and will promote African manufacturers to both local and international decision makers, with the aim to increase market share for the continent as well as develop regional trade between African countries.
South Africa’s trade and industry minister, Rob Davis, will kick off the event with a key address and the rest of the days will be filled with business seminars led by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA).
“Africa has long been a source of inspiration for fashion trends, but for the first time it is being recognised as a valuable producer of fashion, with major retailers already actively sourcing from the continent,” according to the press release.
The trade show portion will be held on April 11 and 12 and will feature country pavilions as the centrepiece of more than 130 African exhibitors interested in growing their exports. Countries already represented at the event include Mauritius, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia, Madagascar, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
Major international brands from Europe and the U.S. are also confirmed to attend the event, including representatives from Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Marks & Spencer and Amer Sports.
The trade show stands will include products ranging from fashion brands, accessories, clothing, footwear, textiles, home fabrics, through to interlinings, trims and threads, machinery, display products, and IT solutions.
Source Africa says it also has an already successful business matchmaking programme that works to pair regional producers with regional and international retailers, brands and wholesalers. Last year the programme resulted in more than 450 meetings resulting in US$2 million in immediate sales and $10 million in carryover sales.
