The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mzwandile Masina, has appealed to fashion designers to use their creativity and talent to change the lives of members of their communities. Masina was speaking at a certification ceremony that was hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture at the Eastern Cape Arts and Craft Hub today.
At the ceremony, Masina handed out certificates to 34 fashion designers who received training at the Fashion Design Innovation Centre in the use of fashion design computer-based platforms and Cut, Make and Trim (CMT). The centre, which is situated in the Hub, was opened by the then Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Thandi Tobias-Poloko in August 2013.
“I am appealing to the fashion designers who are receiving certificates today to ensure that they use their creativity and talent to contribute meaningfully in changing the lives of people in their communities. Use the skills, knowledge and expertise that you received here during your training to create employment for other people and contribute in growing the economy of this country and eradicating poverty,” said Masina.
He added that the dti had a high regard for the clothing and textile sector because of its capacity to create employment and contribute in growing the economy of South Africa. He said the fact that the dti recognised clothing and textile as an critical sector was evident in its inclusion in the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) as one of the sectors that required major support from government as part of its industrialisation strategy.
“We funded the Fashion Design Innovation Centre in order to empower the fashion designers to produce garments of high quality and instil confidence to young people about their potential on garment design innovation. In recent times, the South African fashion industry has been gaining momentum, driven by a proliferation of designers and multi-brand boutiques that carry the collections with rich SA design content,” said Masina.
He also said South Africans should buy locally-produced garments in order to support the clothing industry grow.
“Currently, only about 20% to 25% of locally sold clothing is manufactured domestically. The SA clothing and apparel sector’s market slice to the global clothing sector is estimated at less than 0.3%. We would like to see this contribution increasing significantly, hence our support to the industry. We would also like to see more black industrialists participating in the clothing and textile sector,” said Masina.
Speaking on behalf of the fashion designers who were graduating, Ms Ncumisa Zibi said the training they received at the centre has had a positive impact on their careers and it empowered them remarkably.
“The training has given all of us the zeal to wake up in the morning and pursue our dreams. It has empowered us and boosted our confidence as fashion designers. It has given us an opportunity to enhance our skills and increase our knowledge of the fashion industry, as well as the business side of the fashion industry,” added Zibi.
Caption: Fashion designer Tulile Gege receiving her certificate from Deputy Minister Masina as the Mayor of the OR Tambo District Municipality, Nomakhosazana Meth looks on.
