Building Zim knowledge, innovation, start-up communities

The previous article was about “Building Zimbabwe Knowledge and Innovation Start-Up Communities in Business and Commerce,” where skills in Accounting and Taxation, Management and Administration, Marketing and Advertising, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Finance and Banking, E-Commerce, Insurance and Risk Management were required, while having knowledge of Economics and Business Law.

This article is about Building Knowledge and Innovation Start-Up Communities for the Textile and Clothing Industry.

The following will be discussed; the Textile and Clothing Industry, importance of Textiles, the History of the Textile Industry, Establishing the Textile Industry Supply Chain, Textile Strategy Design Questions, and Developing the Start-Up Community Partnerships for the Textile and Clothing Innovations.

The textile and clothing industry

The Textile industry is one in which the production, processing, manufacture and distribution of fabrics occur. Fabrics are made using raw materials that are transformed into yarns and then knit or woven together.

The textile industry plays a vital role in society and the environment, impacting various aspects of modern life. It generates employment, influencing culture, providing access to clothing, while also facing challenges related to sustainability.

It also contributes significantly to the global economy with substantial revenue, promoting economic development in many countries.

The textile industry is vast and complex and encompasses a wide range of activities, from the production of raw materials to the manufacturing of finished goods.

The Clothing Industry encompasses the manufacture of outerwear such as dresses, suits, shirts, jackets and topcoats, underwear, headwear and footwear such as stockings, shoes and boots. It also includes the manufacture of accessories such as neckties, scarves and gloves.

The importance of textiles

Textiles are fundamental need for humans because they serve multiple purposes such as protection, comfort and hygiene.

They provide protection against adversities and help regulate body temperature. Textile products play a vital role in meeting man’s basic need. In the household, textiles are used in carpeting, upholstered furnishing, window shades, towels, coverings for tables, beds and other flat surfaces and in art.

Textiles also play crucial roles in other industries. In the food industry, farmers wear protective clothing to spray crops against pesticides. They are also used to cover plants and wrap trees for protection from weather and insects.

Coffee filters and tea bags are made from textile. Textile is also used in building material for insulation from heat and cold. They are used for furniture, roofing materials, wire coverings, wall coverings, blinds, air ducts and window screens. Textiles are also used in transportation.

It is used to line the beds of roads before paving, tyres also have textile. Textiles are used in brake linings, gaskets, vehicle seats, seat belts, air bags and filters of vehicles.

They are also in the health industry for life saving devices. They are also for protective clothing such as bullet proof vests, race car drivers, fire fighters, and astronauts work suits.

Textiles are also used in sports equipment such as sailboats, hockey sticks, fishing rods, golf clubs, tennis rackets and canoes.

Some of the main products that are manufactured in the textile industry include fabrics, technical fabrics, clothing, fashion and design products, upholstery fabrics and shoe fabrics.

A wide variety of fabrics are produced for different purposes such as cotton, polyester, nylon, silk, linen, wool and others, all types of clothing including T-shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, underwear and uniforms.

Technical fabrics are those that are developed for specific applications such as waterproof, fireproof and antibacterial fabrics.

Fashion and design products are products such as bags, scarves, ties, hats, and other fashion accessories.

Upholstery fabrics are fabrics that are used in the upholstery of furniture such as sofas, chairs and armchairs.

Shoe fabrics are fabrics that are used in the manufacture of footwear including sneakers, casual shoes and boots.

The history of the textile industry

The history of the textile industry is marked by important milestones. The textile revolution began in Great Britain with the development of textile machines.

These innovations enabled faster and more efficient fabric production, gradually replacing small-scale manual production.

During the 19th century, the textile industry expanded rapidly, especially in Europe and the United States. Textile factories began to adopt mass production systems, increasing efficiency and reducing production costs.

The 20th century saw significant advances in textile technology, like the development of synthetic fibres, such as nylon and polyester, revolutioning the industry and offering new possibilities for design and performance.

Automation also played an important role with more advanced machines and quality control systems.

The advent of industry has brought a new era of digitisation and connectivity to the textile industry.

Technologies such as the Internet of things, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data are applied to optimise production processes, track quality and personalise products.

Sustainability has also become a central concern, leading to efforts to develop more eco-friendly production processes and recyclable materials.

Main stages of the textile industry

The main stages of the textile industry are fundamental to the production of fabrics and products. The first stage is spinning, where natural fibres such as cotton, wool, or silk or synthetic fibres such as polyester or nylon are transformed into yarns.

In the weaving stage, the yarns produced in the spinning stage are interlaced to form the fabric. After the weaving, the fabric goes through the finishing process, which includes a series of treatments to improve its physical, aesthetic and functional properties.

It may involve processes such as washing, dyeing printing, and waterproof finishing, among others, depending on the type of fabric and the intended end use.

In the garment manufacturing stage, the finished fabric is cut and sewn to create products such as clothing and accessories. The main raw materials used in the textile industry are cotton, wool, linen, and polyester, silk and viscose.

Establishing the textile industry supply chain

There is need to establish the textile ecosystem and all the textile industry value chain stakeholders. A textile ecosystem can be defined as a community supported by a foundation of interacting organisations and individuals of the textile world.

All the stakeholders involved in the entire supply chain, from production to the delivery of the finished product are part of the textile ecosystem.

The goods and services produced for the customer include suppliers, advertising agencies, distributors, sales and marketing professionals, logistics partners, competitors, government agencies among many others are part of the textile ecosystem.

The following stakeholders are important for the supply chain to run successfully. The first group in the supply chain for the textile manufacturing are the farmers who grow cotton, or rear silk worms, or sheep for natural fibres like cotton, silk and wool.

The farmers sell their produce and the traders take them to the textile mills. Textile mills play a pivotal role in the supply chain of garment manufacturing. The process of fibre spinning, weaving and knotting, bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing the fabric are done in the mill.

Once the fabric is manufactured, it needs to be transported to large distributors and retailers. The garment manufacturing teams procure large quantities of fabric from distributors.

The procurement teams of the garment manufacturing companies are responsible for procuring the right quantity of fabrics and other required accessories. The sales and marketing team play a huge role in analysing market trends and advertising their products.

Textile strategy design questions

Before developing a Textile Strategy, there are a number of questions to ask, that can help in coming up with the appropriate design elements for the Textile Strategy. What percentage of national Textile demand does Zimbabwe have capacity to deliver? What is required in order to increase the capacity to desired levels?

What percentage of national clothing demand does Zimbabwe have capacity to deliver? What is required in order to increase the capacity to desired levels?

What type of policies does Zimbabwe need to develop in order to develop national capacity to meet the textile and clothing demand? What are the requirements for entering the global textile Industry?

What capacities need to be developed for Zimbabwean companies to enter the global textile industry? What strategies should Zimbabwe execute in order to develop the capacity?

Developing the Start-Up Community Partnerships for Textile and Clothing Innovations

The Start-Up Community can develop partnerships that will bring together all the different actors critical to the development of Start-Ups in the Textile and Clothing Industry.

These partners should include the ministry responsible for the Textile Industry, that is the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, the Textile and Clothing Industry Regulator, the Industry Associations such as the Zimbabwe Manufacturers Clothing Association, Association of Cotton Value adders of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Fashion Council, the financial Institutions with a specific focus on Textile and Clothing Finance, and businesses in the Textile and Clothing Sector.

These actors can be a source of information on all the pertinent issues happening in the Textile and Clothing sector. These partners assist the Start-Up Community in developing the relevant solutions to address challenges faced across the Textile and Clothing value chain.

In partnership with the Cotton Research Institute, the Start-Up Community can carry out research activities to identify challenges requiring innovative solutions across the textile and clothing sector.

This information together with the Textile Strategy can assist in developing Innovation Competitions/Challenge looking for Start-Ups who can develop a business case to address the Innovation Challenge, which can then be scaled up for the African continent.

The Writer Nokuthula G Moyo-Muparuri is a lecturer at the Midlands State University in the Faculty of Business Sciences. She is also the Founder of the Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship. The mission of the Institute is Start-Up/Innovation Skills Development and Start-Up/Innovation Ecosystem Development. The Institute has established a Zim Start-Up Funding Unit to facilitate Private Equity Funding, Angel Investment, Crowd Funding, Grants and Loans for Start-Ups. Those interested can contact the Institute on +263718747621-ebusinessweekly