In a bid to promote exports of Indonesian textile and garments to African countries, particularly South Africa, Indonesia organised ‘Threads of Indonesia’ which consisted of a series of activities like fashion shows, business matching, talk shows, as well as market and company visits.
These activities were organised by the Indonesian Embassy in South Africa, together with the Indonesian Consulate General in Cape Town and ITPC Johannesburg with the support of Indonesia Eximbank, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, and Bank Mandiri.
The business matching events and fashion show were held in Cape Town on September 11. Two Indonesian designers, Anita Gathmir and Jessica Febiani, showcased elegant pieces that highlighted Indonesian traditional fabric called Wastra Nusantara) as the base material.
Anita Gathmir displayed a collection made from Tidore weaving called Motif Tuan Guru. Meanwhile, Jessica Febiani used batik fabric for her beautiful collection called Act Globally-Love Locally.
TFG, the largest retail company in South Africa said it will explore sustainable batik making with batik producers in Indonesia.
Speaking on the occasion, Indonesian Ambassador to South Africa, Saud Krisnawan, said that Indonesia is currently the sixth largest textile producer in the world and is targeting the fifth largest position in the world by 2030.
Ambassador Saud added that many international brands entrust the production of their products in factories in Indonesia, including 35 countries that produce their military clothing in Indonesia.
“In addition, many indigenous Indonesian brands have also begun to expand into the international market. However, despite its high capability, Indonesia is not even among the top 10 suppliers of clothing to South Africa,” he added.
“That is why we initiated ‘Threads of Indonesia’ to promote Indonesian textile products to the South African market,” Ambassador Saud stated
The event concluded with a virtual business matching where South African buyers met with 29 other Indonesian suppliers.
Indonesian suppliers who could not be present in Cape Town had sent samples of their products for buyers to see. A number of potential transactions were generated from the business matching.
Last year, the Indonesian Embassy in South Africa and ITPC Johannesburg together with TFG had made a fashion film titled ‘Stories of Hope’ which featured the collaborative work of young Indonesian and South African designers who creatively combined batik fabrics with South African Shweshwe fabrics.
