Kingdom of Lesotho must seize textile manufacturing crown
The country has the right skills in place — now it just needs co-ordination and capacity
The health and economic crisis brought on by Covid-19 has had a global economic effect. From disrupted supply chains to restrictions on the free movement of people and their skills, goods and capital, the world has had to adjust to a “new normal”. A question on the lips of those contemplating filling the void left by the forced rethink of the “one country” risk arising from reliance on factory China is whether Africa can benefit.
Lesotho is well positioned to turn opportunity into real jobs with its manufacturing capabilities. Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro, who took over amid the Covid-19 crisis, is alive both to the challenges and the opportunities. “We have to provide jobs and excitement, especially among the youth … In the past we were dependent on income from migrant labour and revenue from the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu). Now we must rescue ourselves through private-sector investment and the reorganisation of government to deliver this.”..
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