Ethiopia

The shifting dynamics of global apparel sourcing are bringing new regions to the fore, and Ethiopia is increasingly in focus. Supported by industrial investments and a young, trainable workforce, the country is courting European manufacturers seeking reliable alternatives to Asia. Susanne Pass, Managing Director of Dialog Textil-Bekleidung (DTB), outlines how sustained engagement, infrastructure development, and training can position Ethiopia as a long-term player in the international textile landscape.

The dynamics of global sourcing are evolving, and Africa is positioning itself at the heart of these shifts. With infrastructure built through Asian partnerships and an expanding manufacturing base, the continent is becoming part of a broader rebalancing of global trade. Guiding this transformation is Skander Negasi, Chief Executive Officer of Trade and Fairs Consulting, organiser of Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week, who underscores that Africa’s sourcing story is now one of resilience, resourcefulness, and rising capability.

Ethiopia’s cotton sector, once a pillar of African textile production, is being re-energised through renewed coordination between farmers, industry, and policymakers. At the centre of these efforts is Tsegaye Abebe, Executive Director of the Ethiopian Cotton Association (ECA), who outlines how the country can convert its vast but underutilised cotton potential into a sustainable and competitive national asset.

As Ethiopia’s artisan sector faces globalisation’s pressures, a new generation of designers is redefining what “handmade” means in a digitally connected and fast-changing world. Mekdes Mesfin, Founder and Creative Director of Demii Design, believes that craftsmanship and innovation can evolve together — sustaining livelihoods while shaping a modern national identity through design and empowering communities to see fashion as cultural continuity, not merely commerce.

Tigray, the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia, is attempting to rebuild its textiles and garment industry following catastrophic wartime destruction. A new study documents the scale of industrial damage and economic loss, highlighting the urgent need for resuming production and restoring labour capacity. The research focuses on supply chain collapse, asset destruction, and employment disruption — all factors now shaping how firms attempt to regain stability in a fractured post-war environment.

The ILO’s Better Work Women Leadership Development Programme has empowered over 230 Ethiopian women in the garment sector since 2021, leading to high promotion rates and lasting workplace impact. Through hands-on training, mentorship, and leadership coaching, the initiative is transforming career trajectories and advancing gender equity in factories across Ethiopia’s industrial parks and beyond.

The lesson of the current US tariffs crisis roiling the trade world is this: you cannot keep relying on one country as your export destination. From now on it has to be ‘US Plus One’.

The death-knell of Somerset-based leather manufacturer, Pittards had been sounded much earlier but when it finally closed shop last September, the story of a worldwide brand known for producing gloves for the Royal Family, is one that has lessons for entrepreneurs of all hues.

There’s an urgent need for Ethiopia to yank off from a never-ending cycle of low productivity and high labour turnover if the country wants to remain an attractive location for the global textile industry in spite of rising labour costs.

Ethiopia, China, and Germany have renewed their commitment to scale up their triangular cooperation aiming at improving the environmental, social, and labour standards in the textile sector in Ethiopia and beyond. texfash.com reports.