Africa Bespoke Apparel (ABA), an R81 million Black Industrialist textile firm, will be launched in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa on 22 January 2019.
The 100 per cent Black-owned firm will be inaugurated by Bulelani Magwanishe, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and Sihle Zikalala, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.
ABA is one of the first among Black Industrialists beneficiaries to have created around 450 job opportunities within 4 months of its operations.
The company received a grant of R35.5 million from the Department of Trade and Industry and also Black Industrial Scheme (BIS). The project is co-funded by KwaZulu-Natal government’s Growth Fund.
“The BIS helped ABA to buy new equipment with the intent of simplifying and enhancing the production process, with increased flexibility and safety, which is combined with the realisation of guaranteed high quality to meet the demands of the modern textiles and clothing sector.” – Sihle Zikalala, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, South Africa
He further added that latest technology installed through BIS will help ABA increase its production by three times. Besides, BIS will extend its support to ABA to expand deep into sub-Saharan African markets.
Zikalala said that KwaZulu-Natal government was proud of ABA’s achievements and predicted a good future for textile industry, which hasn’t been doing well for last 2 decades.
