City of Cape Town is calling small and medium sized enterprises in the clothing, textile, footwear and leather (CTFL) sector to participate in ‘Origin-8: From Start-up to Scale-up’. It is a business programme, designed and administered by the Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster (CCTC).
The programme is funded by the City of Cape Town and is the first of its kind. It aims to expose SMEs to major national retailer requirements, by helping them to bridge the gaps that exist in their business to better align with the industry standards and customer expectations.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth – Alderman James Vos said that the City of Cape Town is proud to be partner with the CCTC on the Origin-8 programme. He explained that the partnership is designed to empower the start-ups and scale-ups in the clothing, textile footwear and leather sectors with the insights to meet the requirements of big customers.
“Through this collaboration, we are committed to help these businesses on their journey to showcase their potential and scaling their business,” said James Vos.
As per the sources, the rollout of the programme includes two key events. First one is going to be held on January 21, 2025. In this a workshop will be organised that will offer SMEs the opportunity to engage directly with major national retailers and gain valuable insights into the critical questions that customers ask while assessing the new suppliers and the common challenges to unlock the procurement opportunities.
The SME participants will be equipped with the practical tools to better align their business offerings with customer expectations and more effectively to showcase their potential.
Then, this will be followed by a half-day guided factory tour on January 22, 2025, where SMEs will have the chance to observe the world-class manufacturing and best practices in action.
Chief Facilitator of CCTC – Courtney Barnes, considered this and emphasised the importance of the commitment of the cluster to enhance the clothing, textile, footwear and leather industries of Western Cape.
Barnes stated further that as retailers look to diversify their sourcing and onshore products, it is critical that the local value chain has the capacity and capabilities to respond.
“It means we need a strong pipeline of future suppliers. We are launching the CCTC Origin-8 programme to fast-track this pipeline development and ensure that small businesses have a compelling value proposition to potential customers,” expressed Barnes.