I see trade, industry & competition minister Ebrahim Patel is finally cottoning on to Shein and Temu scuppering any hopes he had of revitalising SA’s moribund clothing and textiles industry. It is well documented that cheap Chinese imports picked at the seams of the industry in the late 1990s, causing it to unravel.

Despite increased tariff and trade protection and a flurry of localisation master plans since, more than half the textiles sold by SA retailers are imported and about 60% of imports are from China. ..

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.