BUZIGAHILL

The once prosperous Ugandan textile industry has suffered significantly since the 1970s and has not recovered from the shocks of market liberalisation and globalisation to be able to create jobs, textiles and clothing for the current population of 48.8 million. Cotton remains Uganda's third most important cash crop. However, 95% of all harvested fibre is exported for further processing, thereby missing out on opportunities for value-add jobs. Local fashion has quickly been replaced by imports of second-hand clothes and cheap, synthetic knock-offs from the Global North, which together are the leading source of all textile goods in the country: It is estimated that 80% of all clothing purchases in Uganda are second-hand.

There are only two remaining textile mills in the country that spin locally grown cotton to produce fabrics. They do not have the capacity to clothe Uganda – and certainly do not produce fabrics diverse enough to be used by contemporary Ugandan fashion designers. As a result, designers either work with textiles imported from Turkey and China, or use materials upcycled from second-hand clothes. However, Locally produced garments cannot compete against the low prices and diversity that second-hand clothing offers – these remain a threat to local economies and the environment.