China's textile dominance is reshaping Africa's fashion future

China-Africa bilateral trade hit a record $282 billion in 2023, underscoring a shift from mere trade to co-production, and Beijing is reshaping Africa’s industrial landscape through factories, ports and policy.

Export surge

China’s zero-tariff policy, effective since December 2024, grants duty-free access to 33 African nations, directly boosting exports. This month, China announced plans to remove tariffs for an additional twenty countries, granting them duty-free access to the world’s largest consumer market.

While agricultural commodities like coffee and cocoa have reaped immediate benefits, the policy’s most strategic impact lies in textiles and apparel. By eliminating tariffs on value-added goods, China is incentivising African nations to move beyond raw material exports and establish competitive manufacturing hubs. Kenya’s horticulture sector, for example, already a $1 billion industry, is leveraging this policy to target premium Chinese markets via e-commerce platforms like Alibaba. Similarly, South African wine and organic cosmetics are gaining ground against European imports.

But the real game-changer is in fabrics and apparel. At the June 2025 China-Africa Textile and Garment Industry Cooperation Event in Changsha, officials unveiled plans to upgrade relations from “product export” to “co-construction of production capacity.”

This shift is already materialising in Ethiopia, where Chinese-backed industrial parks like Hawassa and Mekelle have positioned the country as a fast-fashion alternative to Asia. Now, with the $700 million Addis Tomorrow Special Economic Zone underway, Ethiopia is doubling down on its role as a textile export hub.

Full supply chains

China’s strategy extends beyond tariff concessions. It is building end-to-end supply chains, integrating African cotton cultivation with spinning, weaving, and garment finishing. In Egypt, Lutai Group’s $385 million vertically integrated mill—capable of spinning, weaving, and sewing shirts for export—exemplifies this model. Nearby, the $17 million Hightex decorative-fabrics plant in the Suez Canal Economic Zone will produce 20 million metres of cloth annually. Egypt now hosts over 2,800 active Chinese companies, with cumulative investments exceeding $8 billion, and plans for a dedicated Chinese textile city in Minya are advancing.

Morocco, too, is emerging as a critical node. The Mohammed VI Tangier Tech City, a 950-hectare industrial zone, is attracting Chinese giants like Sunrise Group, which is investing $240 million in textile plants. The zone’s proximity to Europe, coupled with Morocco’s free-trade agreements, makes it an ideal bridge for Chinese manufacturers targeting EU and US markets.

Challenges: Imbalances and Sustainability

Yet, this boom is not without friction. Trade imbalances persist. In early 2025, China’s apparel exports to Africa still dwarfed African shipments to China, reinforcing Africa’s role as a market rather than an equal partner. According to data from Fibre2Fashion’s market intelligence tool TexPro, for the full year 2024, China’s apparel exports totalled $153.408 billion, of which $7.256 billion (4.73 per cent) was shipped to Africa. Apparel imports from Africa during the year amounted to $208.323 million, representing 2.13 per cent of China’s total apparel imports of $9.757 billion.

Meanwhile, the influx of cheap Chinese polyester and counterfeit prints continues to stifle local industries in countries like Nigeria, where textile imports from China are estimated at $6 billion annually.

Sustainability tensions also loom. While Europe pushes North African suppliers like Tunisia and Morocco to adopt circular production methods—recycled cotton exports from Tunisia jumped from 1.1 per cent in 2022 to 10.2 per cent in 2024—Chinese investments have faced scrutiny over environmental standards. African manufacturers, caught between Western sustainability demands and Chinese cost efficiency, warn that buyers want ‘green’ production but resist paying premium prices.

The Road Ahead

Africa’s textile ascent hinges on leveraging Chinese capital while asserting control over value chains. The China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, with $7 billion in proposed projects for 2025, signals deepening ties. True success, however, will require policies that ensure technology transfer, local ownership, and environmental accountability.

For now, China’s dominance is unchallenged. From Ethiopia’s industrial parks to Egypt’s spinning mills and Morocco’s export hubs, Beijing is not just investing in Africa’s textile future—it is defining it. The question is whether African nations can harness this momentum to build self-sustaining industries, or if they risk becoming permanent secondary players in China’s global supply chain.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (IL)