TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA The Textiles and Clothing Industry in Zambia By Grayson Koyi 1. Introduction Zambia is listed as one of the poorest countries in the world. With a population of 11 million and a per capita Gross Domestic Product(GDP) of about US$ 421, Zambia is a country in political and economic transition. Its economic perform­ance has been largely chequered, beginning with modestly high growth rates and fairly rapid general development between 1964 and around 1972, but sliding into low growth thereafter. The period between 1974 and 2000 has been characterised by low growth, rising poverty and major economic reforms. More recently, Zam­bia has started to witness some relatively sustained positive growth rates. An important aspect of this growth is the changing nature of its source. While mining has predominantly been the prime mover of economic growth in Zambia, recent efforts at fostering diversification to such sectors as manufacturing, agriculture and tourism are beginning to pay some dividends. This paper will focus on manufacturing, particularly the textile and clothing industry. The thrust towards promoting Non-Traditional Exports(NTEs) has placed emphasis on the textile and clothing industry. Table 1: Basic Economic Indicators, 1980-2003 GDP(mn’US$) GDP/Per Capita( US$) Inflation(%) External Debt/GDP(%) FSE/TLF(%) 1980 3,350.05 583.9 11.6 84.1 23.4 1981-1990 3,544.3 522.2 50.9 191.4 25.0 FSE= Formal Sector Employment; TFL= Total Labour Force 1991-2000 3,736.8 413.3 68.8 204.1 12.9 2001-2003 4,439.5 414.7 20.5 173.7 8.8 2003 4,920.0 421.0 17.6 146.0 8.1 Source: CSO 2003 258 FRIEDRICH-EBERT-STIFTUNG