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Njabulo Bhebe, Business Reporter 

THE country’s trade and export promotion body, ZimTrade has engaged an expert with a German-linked organisation, Senior Experten Services (SES), to offer technical assistance and advice to players in the clothing sector with the aim of enhancing their production efficiencies and competitiveness.

ZimTrade regional manager, Mr Similo Nkala, said SES would conduct a number of workshops across the country, which are expected to equip players in the clothing sector with the requisite skills to improve the quality of their products in line with international trends. “Mrs Chris Vijt (the German expert) is going to be helping companies improve on design, which covers fabric choice, colour choice and construction structure of garments. We expect to see improvements from clothing companies in terms of the designs they will release into the market by way of keeping abreast with international trends,” he said. “Again, companies will through this engagement introspect and commit to investing in some of the resources needed to improve their processes such as using some technologies such as illustrate for design.”

Mr Nkala said the seminars to be conducted by the German expert would go a long way in preparing companies for the export market.

“ZimTrade will organise capacity building programmes and seminars, which will see companies in the sector being equipped with the necessary skills for exports development. We will ensure that companies in the sector participate in these programmes so that they showcase products while at the same time gathering market intelligence on fashion trends and machinery that will help drive their operations,” he said.

Mr Nkala said the engagement of the German expert would also go a long way towards reviving the country’s clothing sector, which has been facing challenges over two decades owing to a myriad of challenges.

At its peak around 1996, the clothing sector employed approximately 35 000 employees but the figures have fallen to about 5 000. Zimbabwe Clothing Manufacturers’ Association chairperson Mr Jeremy Youmans said the engagement of the German expert would play a huge part in improving competitiveness in the sector.

“We welcome any assistance in making our companies more competitive and in line with best international practice,” he said.