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women owners of the South African label “Hip-Hop Clothing”, and involved the donation
and auction of designs to raise funds for an AIDS Hospice. The “Hip-Hop” label has also
developed a new collection of designs called “Afro Diva”, created by women in the
informal sector, with each designed item telling a story relating to their personal life-stories
(iFashion, 2006).
Minister for Trade and Industry, Mandisi Mpahlwa, said that it is important for “South Africa
to find innovative ways to manage the realities of global competitiveness, which includes
focusing on our indigenous culture and character as a basis for developing our unique
competitive edge.” Sanlam’s marketing executive stated: “We feel strongly that the
[clothing] industry, which is focused on individual expression, is a natural fit for us. We too
are focused on individuals in terms of financial needs. Together we can turn catwalk
collections into clothing realities, helping to keep jobs and grow the South African
economy while promoting this vital industry both in this country and internationally” (SA
Fashion Week, 2006).
Another example of collaborative innovation in the South African industry is the SA
Clothing and Textiles Workers Union’s annual “Spring Queen Pageant.” Also sponsored by
Sanlam, it is the only fashion show in the world where workers from the clothing and textile
industry model the clothes they have helped to manufacture. Over 100 factories took part
in the 2006 pageant. Here too, the objective is to amplify a call to consumers to support
locally produced content, but it also showcases the collective face of the thousands of
workers that depend on employment in the clothing and textile industry.
The April 2006, Cape Town Fashion Festival’s primary focus was to promote local content.
Present at the awards night was Minister of Public Enterprises, Alec Erwin, and COSATU
General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. The award for Designer of the Year went to husband-
and-wife team Vanya and Thando Mangaliso of Sun Goddess, who have stores in Durban,
Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The award for Best Retailer went to Naartjie, a children’s brand with 15 stores in South
Africa; this company is uniquely and stringently South African, with over 90% of its products
sold in South African stores produced by South Africans. The brand has also been
launched in 19 stores in the USA and last year (2005) the company exported R13 million of
locally made clothing to these stores.
The Best Manufacturer award went to Levi Strauss South Africa, one of the world’s largest
clothing brands; it set up a local manufacturing plant in 1996 with 130 workers. Today the
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