Origin Africa 2015, a three day event kicked off on Wednesday, 21 October in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa attracted participants from 25 countries in cotton, textile, apparel technology and home decor industries. The exhibition brings together manufacturers, buyers, sector specialists and policy makers to dwell upon African investment potential and promote Africa’s textile industry.

About 180 international manufacturers and exporters are participating in the event, by presenting their products and innovations to trade and sourcing professionals from around the world.

The event is expected to strengthen market linkages and create new investment and market opportunities in the sector.

The main aim of this event is to elevate African places as sourcing and investment destinations for domestic and international investors by showing the continuing dedicated efforts being made in improving African cotton, textile and apparel manufacturing products trades, noted Ahmed Abtew, Ethiopia’s Minister of Industry, at the opening of the event.

Officially opening the exhibition, President Mulatu Teshome of Ethiopia, said that the event is dedicated to improving African cotton, textile and apparel development both in investment and trade.

The textile industry is one of the manufacturing sectors Ethiopia is focusing on to become leading country in light manufacturing sector and to achieve a middle income status by 2025, noted the President.

Special attention is given to the manufacturing sector, one of which is the textile industry, as it is core for value-addition, generating foreign currency, creating job opportunities and technology transfer.

Some of the exhibitors whom Xinhua approached at their stands said that the event provides opportunity to promote products of their respective companies to the markets in Africa and beyond while establishing networks for businesses.

Ituze Ndutiye Colombe is the Creative Director of Inco Fashion, which is based in Kigali, Rwanda said that the exhibition is good opportunity for business network and learning each other among the different exhibitors while promoting products to buyers.

Another exhibitor, Kinkle Liu, Vice General Manager of C&H Garment Plc, a Chinese company manufacturing T-shirts and safety garments, said that the event is good opportunity for his company to promote its products to African markets. As the African continent is engaged in undertaking huge construction works, such products of safety garment are needed on the continent’s markets.

Africa is very big market for this kind of things because Africa’s growth is very fast in the last ten years; and so lots of constructions, lots of road builds, this kind of industry needs this kind of garment and that is why they are participating in the event.