Competition or collaboration?

China says it wants to work with South African businesses that produce textiles and clothing. By Kara le Roux

- By Kara le Roux

South Africa is dressing itself in imported cloth, and most of it has a “made in China” label.

At the Allfashion Sourcing exhibition, which was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 8 to 10 July, local and international players in the clothing and textile value chain were brought together to showcase their products and business ideologies.

One couldn't help but notice a skewed balance, tilting decidedly east. Of the 142 exhibitors listed on Allfashion Sourcing’s website, 71 were Chinese companies. From fabric suppliers to accessory makers, China’s footprint was everywhere, reinforced by the presence of Chinese diplomats and state-linked industry delegations.

This overwhelming presence brought into sharper focus a longstanding trade dynamic in the sector that continues to shape South Africa’s local fashion economy.

In 2024, South Africa exported textiles worth R19.4-billion, according to data from The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Of that, R4.07-billion went to China.

It doesn’t seem like a significant slice of the pie, until one looks at the inflows imports in this sector totalled R65.4-billion and nearly half of that came from China. The result is a trade deficit that makes it clear who is dressing whom.

This is part of a much larger trend, according to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). Since 2000, South Africa has sent a staggering R2-trillion more to China than it received in exports. In March alone, the textile trade gap widened again: exports at R2.22-billion, imports at R4.85-billion and China topped both categories.

"Many of the local producers need to import certain components, be it zippers or buttons or even highly specialised textiles that are not made in South Africa. [These products] are not made in Africa," said Michael Dehn, managing director of global trade fair organiser Messe Frankfurt, which hosted the trade show.