What we do
Implementing the objectives of partnerships
Strength in partnerships
Global footprint
Building a bridge to
internationalise African fashion.
The Portugal – Africa Investment Roundtable
The key takeaways were:
- Leverage Technical Know-how: Africa can leverage the expertise and technical-know how of Portugal to build the textile value chains as well as to create new markets for Portuguese businesses.
- Market Access: Portugal is a gateway into the European market and the partnership between ANJE and Afreximbank enables African designers to be close to the value and logistical chain.
- ‘Made in Africa’ Brand: create a strong ‘made in Africa’ brand to attract investments as well as foster value chains to leverage the creative diversity on the continent.
- Leverage Sustainability: Portugal is one of Europe’s top textile and clothing producers, trusted for high quality products and sustainable production processes that seek to minimise harm to the environment. As Africa grows its production capacity, the sharing of the sustainability focused expertise, technology and skills will be beneficial to African manufacturers to build better, less extractive manufacturing models.
- Support SMEs: There is a need to support SMEs in the textile industry with financial and non-financial interventions e.g., facilitating banking relationships, letters of credit and due diligence.
- Leveraged Technology: SME’s need to leverage the digital revolution such as block chain technologies to facilitate trade.
- Collaboration: Public and private sector collaboration is key to accelerating regional integration and industrialisation. Invest in green field projects through public private partnerships.
- Job Creation: Africa must create 12 – 15 million jobs a year to absorb the youth entering the labour market. Industries are slowly leaving Asia and moving back to Europe and Africa can plug itself in the value chain and get access to new markets.
- Build Textile Industry Clusters:Clusters are pivotal to build a textile industry in Africa and they need to be connected to universities and technological institutes to make the industry resilient, sustainable, innovative and globally competitive.
- Research and Development: African needs to invest heavily in research and development.
- Create Ecosystems and Add Value: To become more competitive in the global industry, Africa must evolve to contribute to the higher value streams of the value chains.
Subsequently, during the Intra-African Trade Fair held in November 2021, Afreximbank and the Association of Textile Producers of Portugal (ATP), signed a MOU as an agreement on the establishment of a joint venture to spearhead the integration of African and European textiles and apparel value chains with the view of building and boosting production and manufacturing capabilities on the continent.
The second edition of the roundtable is scheduled for October 2022.
CANEX Presents Africa @ Portugal Fashion Buyers Workshop
CREATIVE Africa Nexus (CANEX) is a platform created to be the bridge for African creativity to the world.
Over the past year, CANEX Presents Africa @ Portugal Fashion week has built awareness around investment opportunities in the African fashion industry and in Portugal. A newly established MOU between the Association of Textile Producers of Portugal (ATP) and Afreximbank, for the development of manufacturing industrial parks in key regions of the continent can be noted as the start of a progressive movement that will erase the borders between the African Fashion, Apparel and Textile Industry and Europe.
The first edition of CANEX Presents Africa @ Portugal Fashion Week in October 2021 underscored the need to get a better understanding of the global retail and wholesale buyers’ market. Our goal is to create an event that will bring together investors, buyers, and African designers, to discuss the evolving demands of global markets and how best to harness opportunities for African designers to access international distribution channels.
The Vision:
Build a platform for the development of African fashion designers by providing exposure, supporting the transfer of skills as well as go-to-market and internationalisation strategies that boost production and sales leading to financially sustainable businesses.
The Goal:
Our goal is to create an event that will bring together investors, buyers, and African designers, to discuss the evolving demands of global markets and how best to harness opportunities for African designers to access international distribution channels.
The Workshop:
The aim of this platform is to discuss and understand evolving demands of global markets and how best to harness opportunities for African designers to access international distribution channels.
The inaugural workshop will take place on 17 March 2021 in Porto, Portugal, and it is targeted towards retail buyers, investors, manufacturers, distributors, fashion designers, educators, marketing and communications experts, photographers and the Press.
Desired Outcome:
African Designers’ access to international distribution channels i.e., retail and wholesale markets.
