As brands look to diversify away from Asia-centric supply chains, a trend accelerated by trade tensions and tariffs, Africa is being positioned as an alternative manufacturing base. Regions such as North Africa (notably Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt) have become hubs for fast-turnaround apparel production, while East Africa (particularly Ethiopia and Kenya) has attracted investment in large-scale garment manufacturing.
This move comes with risk, however. Bangladesh offered similar promise in the 1990s; low costs, trade preferences and developmental potential. Cambodia and Vietnam followed in the 2000s. Each time, initial optimism about ethical development eventually gave way to familiar patterns: downward pressure on wages, weak labor protections and brands prioritizing cost over conditions. West Africa currently has minimum wages ranging from $44 per month (Nigeria), compared with Bangladesh’s $113 per month and living wage estimates of between $250 and $320 per month in urban manufacturing zones, according to 2023 data from the Fair Labor Association.
Many African countries currently have less developed labor regulations and limited union presence in the apparel sector, raising questions about whether the continent’s growing role in garment production may replicate the race to the bottom dynamics previously seen across Asia. “We’re watching this closely,” says Sarah Kraak, research director at the Worker Rights Consortium.
There are also logistical constraints. West Africa’s garment manufacturing industry remains largely underdeveloped, leading to smaller scale production and unpredictable lead times. Although many West African countries grow cotton, for example, most of it is exported as a raw fiber rather than being processed domestically into yarn, fabric and finished garments. Power reliability, port congestion and limited technical training continue to restrict scale.
“Although boasting enormous potential, the African textile industry still requires the restructuring and streamlining of industrial processes,” says Vikas Budhiraja, head of marketing at Arise Textile Park & Apparel, a regional hub focused on sustainable industrialization and value chain development. “To fill this gap, we need to ensure control over all factors crucial for building a sustainable ecosystem — raw material availability, power, skilling, logistics, nearshoring, customer networks and government policy implementation.”
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