Africa news and archive

Uganda bans the import of discarded clothing from Europe and the US

The East African country of Uganda is putting an immediate stop to the import of second-hand clothing. President Yoweri Museveni wants to advance its own textile industry by doing so, as people who present new clothing to Uganda typically struggle to intervene in the market. Museveni announced the move at the opening of a Ugandan-Chinese...

Business

South African shopping centre unveils AI-powered marketing campaign

Sandton City, a Johannesburg-based shopping centre, has exhibited how the fast developing artificial intelligence (AI) can be put to good use when it comes to marketing. The South African retailer has unveiled a campaign powered by the smart technology that displays digital iterations of iconic fashion staples in a reinvention of its ‘City of...

Report

Kenya’s ShopZetu secures one million dollar pre-seed funding

ShopZetu, an African fashion and lifestyle e-commerce company, has announced the closure of a one million dollar pre-seed funding round, led by Chui Ventures. The Kenya-based start-up, founded in 2021 by Marvin Kiragu and Wandia Gichuru, is hoping to become the most prominent of its kind on the continent, operating as a centralised marketplace...

Fashion

What to know about Egypt’s first fashion week

Egypt will soon be joining the growing roster of international fashion weeks, as it prepares to host its first edition from May 12 to 15, 2023. The official Egypt Fashion Week is being organised by the Ministry of Trade, Economic Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, which unveiled the plans for the event during a press conference in the...

BusinessPress Release

AAFA applauds tariff exclusion extension for many products - more work still to be done

The American Apparel & Footwear Association welcomed the announcement by the Biden administration today that it would extend exclusions for many of the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. The tariff extensions announced today reflect a nine-month extension of 352 product exclusions in the China Section 301 tariffs that had been...

BusinessPress Release

Industry calls for long-term AGOA renewal during U.S. - Africa Leaders Summit

The American Apparel & Footwear Association and more than 20 organizations are calling for long-term renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) as African Heads of State meet with President Biden during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, December 13-15, 2022. "AGOA’s expiration date is less than three years away. September 2025 may...

Fashion

South Africa's Precious Moloi-Motsepe, champion of African fashion

South African Precious Moloi-Motsepe, one of the richest women in Africa, is a staunch promoter of fashion designers from the young, vibrant and culturally diverse continent. Style has coursed through her veins since she was a young girl growing up in Soweto township, and for her the time is ripe for "African designers to shine" on the...

Business

LVMH partners with Circular Bioeconomy Alliance to drive regenerative agriculture in Africa

Luxury conglomerate LVMH has announced a new partnership with King Charles III’s Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA), an organisation centred around the production of sustainable cotton in Africa. The collaboration comes as part of LVMH’s environmental programme, Life360, and its past pledges towards supporting regenerative agriculture. The duo...

News

Prada and UNFPA launch fashion programme in Ghana and Kenya

Luxury conglomerate Prada Group has teamed up with the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) on a fashion training programme for young women in Ghana and Kenya. The pilot programme, ‘Fashion Expressions: The Stories She Wears’, looks to leverage the social and economic power of fashion to promote women’s empowerment and...

Fashion Featured

‘Real Leather. Stay Different.’ launches African talent showcase

The ‘Real Leather. Stay Different.’ international student design competition from the Leather and Hide Council of America is launching an African talent leather design showcase in 2023 in partnership with the African Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI). The African Talent Leather Design Showcase 2023 aims to educate the next...

Business

Fenty Beauty and Skin to launch in Africa

Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin are set to make their debut in Africa starting May 27. In a release, the brands said the launch was a “natural next step” in expanding their ‘Beauty for All’ notion, carrying on the singer-turned-entrepreneur’s “global vision” for the two companies. “I am a proud Bajan who also feels a close connection to...

BusinessFeatured

Folklore Group raises 1.7 million dollars to launch wholesale platform for African brands

The Folklore Group announced it has raised 1.7 million dollars in a pre-seed funding round that will help it launch a conglomerate of B2B and consumer platforms for African and diasporic brands. The funding round was led by Slauson & Co. and had additional participation from Fearless Fund, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player...