Boosting Africa’s Fashion Industry: CAFA's Call to Action

The Confederation of African Fashion (CAFA) is asking for more investment in manufacturing, better access to finance, and stronger market connections to unlock Africa’s fashion industry potential.

This call was made during the Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND 2026, held recently in Lagos. The discussions focused on what is needed to grow Africa’s creative economy.

Africa has many fashion designers, artisans, and entrepreneurs. But the industry faces problems like limited textile manufacturing, poor infrastructure, and trouble accessing finance and international markets.

CAFA believes fixing these issues is key to building a strong fashion industry that can create jobs, boost trade, and keep more money within Africa.

Boosting Manufacturing Capacity

At the event, CAFA’s Mission Coordinator, Reginald Ekeanyanwu, talked about the need for better access to large-scale fashion manufacturing for both new and established designers.

He mentioned that improving production facilities, manufacturing standards, and market chances would help African fashion businesses compete better.

CAFA is working on this through its Seed to Wear Programme. This is a 10-pillar plan aimed at strengthening different parts of the African fashion value chain.

The programme includes areas like cotton farming, fibre processing, textile production, fashion design, financing, and distribution. CAFA says developing these connected areas will help solve current production issues and create a more sustainable manufacturing environment.

Investment is Key for Growth

The talks at CANEX also stressed the need for finance to grow Africa’s fashion industry.

More investment is needed to improve textile production, update factories, bring in new technology, and set up distribution networks that can handle larger markets.

CANEX WKND brought together creative business owners, investors, banks, and others in the industry to look for ways to develop Africa’s creative sectors.

The business programme featured a Finance Summit and Deal Room, which helped connect creative businesses with potential investors and funding options. CAFA believes attracting investment requires looking beyond individual designers to the broader infrastructure needed for production and trade.

Accessing Global Markets

CAFA also pointed out that market access and regional collaboration are vital for the industry’s growth.

The organisation is pushing this agenda through its African Fashion Industry Growth Charter. This charter aims to improve policy alignment and cooperation between African countries.

The initiative should help tackle issues affecting manufacturing, investment, and trade across the continent. CAFA is also calling for better industry standards, intellectual property protection, and distribution systems to enhance the competitiveness of African fashion products.

These efforts support CAFA’s goal to grow Africa’s fashion economy from about $60 billion to $500 billion by 2036.

Looking Ahead

CAFA’s role in CANEX WKND 2026 allowed it to share its development plans with manufacturers, investors, policymakers, and others in the creative sector.

The organisation says it will be crucial to keep engaging with these groups to turn discussions about manufacturing, financing, and market access into real partnerships.

To create a more competitive African fashion industry, CAFA believes coordinated efforts from governments, manufacturers, financial institutions, designers, and investors are essential.