Season 14 Episode 38

Nicole Moonsamy on rebuilding South Africa's textile manufacturing industry

20 August 2026 · 17:08 min

South African textile manufacturing is fighting back against cheap imports, rising costs and global e-commerce giants such as Shein and Temu.

Nicole Moonsamy, Head of Textiles and Wood Products at the SBU, explains how South Africa can rebuild a competitive, job-creating clothing, textile,… footwear and leather manufacturing industry.

She discusses the pressures facing local manufacturers, including electricity and labour costs, logistics and international competition, as well as the progress being made through increased local procurement. Moonsamy also unpacks the Clothing and Textile Footwear Leather Growth Programme, including funding for capital equipment, working capital, small businesses and fashion designers.

The conversation explores how the IDC evaluates funding applications, why developmental impact and capable management matter, and how collaboration between retailers, manufacturers and government can help SMEs enter major retail supply chains.

The discussion also examines the turnaround of legacy South African manufacturer Glodina and why funding alone cannot build a sustainable manufacturing ecosystem.

0:00 South Africa's textile manufacturing opportunity
1:21 State of the local manufacturing industry
3:11 Biggest competitiveness challenges
5:38 How the IDC supports manufacturers
7:18 Funding available to textile businesses
10:14 What the IDC looks for in applicants
12:21 Rebuilding Glodina and supporting SMEs

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#Manufacturing #SouthAfrica #Textiles Show more