The clothing industry for growth in South Africa

Abstract

The South African clothing and textile industry has the potential to create jobs, but this potential has been steadily diminishing over the last ten years before 2007. In this context, the clothing industry is regarded as a powerful engine for economic and employment growth, the focus of the research in this paper. Nevertheless, the performance of the clothing industry, whether in terms of efficiency, working conditions or degree of social protection, is unstable. The industry's ability to generate sustainable and productive employment varies according to geographical locations. In general, wages, job security, health and safety, opportunities for skills training in the smaller enterprises (< 50) compare negatively with those offered by larger enterprises (> 100). As most new jobs are in the micro and small enterprises, addressing their poor working conditions and sometimes exploitative practices constituted a mammoth task for the bargaining council (BC). Moreover, evidence indicates that improvements in working conditions and social protection are key ingredients of business efficiency and competitiveness. Sound policy and regulatory environments, with the existence of collaborative structures are crucial for achieving a fair balance between enterprise development and workers well-being. Issues affecting the SA clothing industry are evaluated in some depth. Furthermore a strategic framework and its implications for developing the clothing and textile industry are addressed.