Southern African nations move to boost leather and textile sectors

Efforts to bolster the leather, textile, and handicraft sectors are underway in Lesotho and Eswatini to increase domestic value addition and regional market access.

In Lesotho, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development, in partnership with the UNDP and UNECA, hosted a business-to-business workshop for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The initiative aims to connect local entrepreneurs with investors and buyers while addressing constraints such as limited access to finance and market intelligence. Government officials emphasized a focus on private-sector-led growth and export readiness.

In Eswatini, the government, UNECA, and the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) validated a joint procurement framework to revitalize the leather industry. Currently, Eswatini exports much of its 220,000–250,000 annual hides and skins in raw or wet-salted form. Transitioning to domestic processing could potentially increase the sector's value from approximately E78.7 million to E943.8 million. However, challenges remain, including a lack of commercial tanneries and a heavy reliance on imported leather inputs.