We Hope to Continue Providing a Platform for Key Stakeholders

Among our 250 exhibitors, we had the German pavilion funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics, a delegation of Ghanaian and Ivorian textile and apparel manufacturers under the African FAN project – Africa Fashion and Textile Acceleration Network, which is an initiative by our long-time partners GIZ and ITC. The Indian pavilion was represented by the Synthetic Textile and Rayon Export Council (STREPC).

These projects aimed to increase the sourcing of sustainably-produced textiles from emerging textiles and apparel production hubs in Africa, thereby creating thousands of jobs for Africa’s growing workforce.

During the event, various important conferences were held with speakers from major companies such as Global Organic Textile Solutions (GOTS), GIZ Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airline Cargo and Zambia Development agency. They addressed topics on organic fibre production, driving investment in the textiles and garment sectors, sustainable sourcing, key innovations, and how different ways of anticipating and measuring economic impacts can help in building a more sustainable value chain.

Forty-five high-level buyers met exhibitors at exclusively organised B2B sessions, and on the final day a visit tour was held to two state-of-the-art textile factories—Jay Jay Textiles and LYU SHTAO factory.

The initiative walk for business hosted over 30 designers from East, West and Southern Africa displaying the latest creative designs adorned by our incandescent models.

The Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week is committed to African designers, and is the hotspot for those who aim to secure business internationally.

We hope to continue providing a platform for key stakeholders to join the dots of the supply chain, reinforced by key research and resources for sustainable textiles, and to enable the establishment of commercial relations between all branches of the textile industry.

It is the only undertaking of this type in Africa that is officially supported by Messe Frankfurt, the world's leading trade fair, congress and event organizer.

We shall continue to promote direct employment in Africa as well as safe and sustainable manufacturing. A huge thank you to all our main partners inside and outside Africa as well as the government of Ethiopia that has been our gracious host for the past eight years. A special thanks to Messe Frankfurt, the Ethiopian Textile and Garment Manufacturer Association as well as the entire GIZ family who continue to support us on the highest level.

We have come away from the 8th ASFW show feeling energised by the increasing commitment from brands and governments to promote free trade within the continent, and to work collaboratively with the industry to help reduce environmental impact across the supply chain. Not only will ASFW always provide a dedicated hub for sustainable sourcing, but also a dynamic networking forum for sharing best practices for the benefit of all.

There is still a long way to go, and we look forward to working with more stakeholders in the coming years to help improve the textiles value chain and take African textiles to the global market.