The fashion industry is worth 31 billion in Africa and there is a rise in the number of UK and European retailers importing from Africa. Jacqueline Shaw is an expert in African sourcing and founder of Africa Fashion Guide and new platform Fashion Africa Trade Expo. She joins Nicole this week on Start Scale Succeed to tell you everything you need to know about sourcing from Africa.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 

• Sourcing from Africa differs from the Asian market because of the processing supply chain. In Asia supply chains are common but in Africa they are much more limited across the continent with the raw products shipped out before being processed.
• Big retailers such as Gap, Tesco, H&M, and TK Maxx have been sourcing high street products from Africa.
• The main challenge with sourcing from Africa is logistics, it’s not set up in the same way most of us are used to and is highly priced in comparison. If you want some samples you have to order enough to make it worthwhile with the high cost of shipping with reputable carriers.
• Another issue is to do with access to materials, you might think it was a quality issue, but the access to the right materials is more complex. You might have wonderful fabric, but the zips they can source are of a lower quality or maybe the fabric is only available for a limited time.
• A lot of sourcing to Africa is from Dubai so you’ll see a lot of African manufacturers set up over there.
• Places like South Africa, Lesotho, Madagascar, and Mauritius will typically do the 3000 minimum piece orders.
• Jacqueline’s platform Fashion Africa Trade Expo serves small to medium sized businesses. The Fashion Africa Trade Expo (the F.A.T.E.) is the African clothing, textile, leather and accessories go-to sourcing platform for B2B users. It provides an opportunity for producers from the African continent to showcase their product and trade their services to new markets, creating exposure for them to new markets.

 

BEST MOMENTS

 

‘It’s about sourcing in Africa, making in Africa, trading with Africa, and building in Africa’

‘You get wonderful African print fabrics that you don’t find anywhere else’

‘Unless you’re going to do the quantity, you will be challenged’

‘People think oh poor Africa, it’s going to be cheap’

‘Going to the continent is going to be a major thing’

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

 

https://www.africafashionguide.com/

https://fashionafricatradeexpo.com/

 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Masterclass training

https://jacquelineshaw.lpages.co/4-step-framework-webinar2/

 

Free guide to get started

https://jacquelineshaw.lpages.co/7-top-african-fashion-business-ideas-guide/

 

www.jacquelineshaw.co.uk

 

Author: Fashion Africa published by Jacaranda Books available on Amazon.com

Director: www.africafashionguide.com

 

B2B sourcing agency: 

www.fashionafricatradeexpo.com

 

Coaching and training:

www.fashionafricabusinessacademy.com

 

Business trips:

www.fashionafricasourcingtrips.com

 

Events 

 

http://www.fashionafricaconference.com/

 

 

ABOUT THE HOST

 

Buying & retail expert Nicole Higgins spent the last 18 years working for companies such as Primark, M&S, Debenhams and Asda, sourcing & developing products from all over the world, building strategies for blue chip businesses, and increasing bottom line sales and profit, adding over £40 million in incremental business to the bottom line.

Nicole now uses that experience and works as a consultant and coach for entrepreneurs and small to medium sized business owners, helping them start and scale their product businesses as The Buyer And Retail Coach (TM)

Join the Start Scale Succeed waitlist. How to start & scale a product business. A 12 Week programme: thebuyerandretailcoach.com/startscalesucceedwaitlist

 

CONTACT METHOD

 

Website http://www.thebuyerandretailcoach.com

IG https://www.instagram.com/thebuyerandretailcoach/

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/nicolehigginsuk

Email [email protected]

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Book a call with me https://thebuyerandretailcoachltd.as.me/discoverycall