Cape Town - Africa’s potential to become a sourcing destination of note is steadily increasing, according to Clay E. Hickson, vice president of strategy and business development of Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (Wrap) in the USA.
He will be one of the guest speakers at the 4th annual Source Africa event taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on June 8 and 9. More than 1 600 international and regional apparel and footwear buyers will attend Source Africa, which is a pan-African textile, clothing and footwear trade event.
Source Africa will connect buyers and suppliers from 13 African countries interested in growing their exports. It promotes African manufacturers to both regional and international decision makers, with the aim to increase market share for the continent as well as develop regional trade between African countries.
"As a recognised leader in the field of global social compliance, Wrap believes Africa has a great opportunity to instil the principles of ethical manufacturing into its business community right as its sourcing industry is maturing," said Hickson.
"Source Africa provides a great platform for raising awareness of these principles and we look forward to utilising the event’s tremendous networking and information sharing opportunities to make a positive impact on all the stakeholders involved.”
A series of seminars will also be presented on a variety of key topics, including on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa).
According to William Scalco, organiser of Source Africa, it is an integrated event that brings together industry leaders from manufacturers, suppliers to service providers and buyers. In his view, it provides international and regional buyers the opportunity to connect with an extensive array of products available from Africa.
African countries represented at the event include South Africa, Mauritius, Lesotho, Egypt, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.