“There are several good reasons for the project”, says Martina Bandte, President of Gesamtmasche. “Especially sub-Saharan Africa is still a blank spot on the textile map for most in the industry. There is a lot of potential for cooperation there, even if the conditions are not easy. In the short term, the main focus is on the procurement of yarn and contract manufacturing. In the long term, we have to keep an eye on export opportunities.” Some of Africa’s larger economies are growing at a fast pace and already have a respectable middle class. However, there is another motivation for the association’s project: “In a pilot measure, we want to make supply chains transparent and present them to the interested public. At the same time, we want to explain where the difficulties lie.”

The textile sector in Ethiopia is fully operational. Through its own cotton cultivation, the cotton processing industry dominates locally from spinning to garment making. Important product areas are jersey goods and home textiles. The association’s cooperation includes regular delegation and trade fair visits. “We want to crosslink the project with other measures of the Africa Initiative and are in exchange with the Economic Network Africa of the Federal Ministry of Economics,” explains Martina Bandte. “The association’s cooperation with Ethiopia is for us a first important step towards a broader Africa strategy.”