As per trade promotion body ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s textile and footwear exports by 85 percent in 2021 as the country made inroads into regional markets. Zimbabwe’s exports of these products surged to $32,3 million in the first eight months of 2021 from $17,7 million in 2020, as per a report by The Herald.

Traditionally Zimbabwe’s textile market sector exports products mainly to South Africa with an estimated export market share of 91,74 percent, Zambia (1,91 percent), Germany (0,34), Malawi with an exports contribution of 0,12 percent, and Mozambique.

Currently less than 10 per cent textile manufacturers export their products inspite the growing regional market and inroads being made into Europe in the past few years. On the other hand, footwear production is on path to recovery after taking a battering in the economically turbulent years between 2001-2008.

The National Development Strategy (NDS 2021-2022) has also identified the leather sector as one of the key-value chains. The government has also pledged to recapitalize the leather and footwear sub-sector so as to increase industrial capacity utilization and boost exports through the production of value-added products such as finished leather, footwear, and other leather products.

By Fashionating World
https://www.fashionatingworld.com/new1-2/zimbabwe-s-textile-and-footwear-exports-surge-85-per-cent-in-2021