MAYORAL Committee Member for Economic Growth, Alderman James Vos joined the Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster (CCTC), the City’s partner in the industry, for a graduation ceremony to celebrate 66 young learners who took part in a City-funded leadership programme.
The programme came on the back of a research report by the CCTC which highlighted the industry’s low youth participation, especially within leadership roles.
“The training responds directly to the needs of the industry and aims to empower participants with lean manufacturing fundamentals and problem-solving skills that are crucial for enhancing competitiveness and efficiency within the sector.”
“I’m happy to share that the graduates have already put their learnings to use within participating companies, demonstrating the direct impact of skills development on operational success. These 66 individuals have already saved a collective R6,9 million through the projects initiated in their training,” said Vos.
Cape Town is home to a colourful patchwork of clothing and textile companies.
From small and medium-sized enterprises to large retailers with global footprints, the local industry makes up around 14% of manufacturing employment in the country, meaning that it facilitates an estimated 60 000 to 80 000 jobs. Of this, 23 800 people work in Cape Town.
‘In 2023, 371-million clothing and textile units were sourced from South African manufacturers. An estimated 100 million of these were sourced from Cape Town. It is further worth noting that the clothing and textile manufacturing industry contributes R3,1-billion to Cape Town’s economy.
“The local industry is aiming to place 8 000 people into jobs over the next two years. By upskilling young employees to fill management roles, the City, via the CCTC is helping to create a sustainable succession and economic growth plan for the sector for years to come,” said Vos.
