From the shopping centers of Johannesburg, South Africa to the expo halls of Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, designers are making inroads into the Chinese market and working towards setting up stores in the country."I think African businesses need to be in China, the way Chinese businesses are in Africa.
It's time to exchange both ways.
And I think that the market is ready," said Thula Sindi, a South African designer who showcased garments at the recent China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) in Changsha, Hunan Province.Sindi, who also operates the AfricaRise stores in Johannesburg and Pretoria, took a selection of his and other African designers' creations to Changsha for the expo.
The creations were seen at the Africa Reimagined fashion booth in one of the exhibition halls.
Having visited China a few times, Sindi has his eyes set on a store in Shanghai."I'm in talks with people about how they can assist AfricaRise to open a shopping space in Shanghai.I feel that Shanghai is very cosmopolitan.
It is really the gateway to China.
Logistically, it will be easier to be there for establishing online shopping, deliveries and returns and exchanges.
There are still many steps towards this but this is the logical next step," he said.In a world of fast fashion and ever-changing trends, Sindi believes the key to Africa's fashion success in China is something that exists outside of that."We have a completely different strategy.
African designers are here to provide what is unique, timeless and special.
Trends can continue to be trends.
We are not competing on price or trendiness; we are competing on quality, quality of design, and uniqueness.
We are the slow creature.
We are the ones who make pieces people can really treasure," said Sindi."The Chinese market is very similar to our (South African) market.
We are both developing regions; we have long histories and we are redefining our way forward and what modernity looks like for us.
Fashion is a big expression of that.
That is why I decided to bring the Africa Rise collection to Changsha, to share our vision of fashion, and that uniqueness that comes from Africa," he added.David Tlale, who is also a celebrated designer from South Africa, is also looking into having a presence in the Chinese market.
He attended the CAETE with the International Trade Centre, and engaged in seminars and business matchmaking while there."South Africa is still my home; it's still my head office; and all our designs, all our samples, come from South Africa.
Then we have to start exporting them to China, showcasing designs here and getting them into retail stores.Learning and adapting to the technology that comes out of China is important, so that we can be competitive, especially in terms of price points.
Tariffs aside, labor in South Africa is expensive.This is a teething a process: you need to protect your IP (intellectual property) and follow the right protocols while establishing business in China," said Tlale.Learning from China and its technological methods is how Tlale aims to adapt his business for a wider reach."As the cross-pollination between Africa and China grows, I think it's important that we start understanding and being part of the system.It's very easy to judge China from the outside, until you get here and you look at the technology, the advancement of life and the business of fashion – I think it's amazing.
I think they (China) have got advanced textiles right and us learning from them is the only thing to do," added Tlale.Hannah Ryder, chief executive officer and founder of international development consultancy Development Reimagined, which runs the Africa Reimagined project, believes that the diversity of the Chinese market offers space for African luxury goods, including fashion."We are looking for African brands that really showcase the differences across the continent and something special: such as sustainability, their methods used to create the pieces or their specific fabrics.
It's a range of types of fashion that we are looking for; and that's perfect for China.
The Chinese market is very diverse, just like the African market.
As Chinese consumers become more middle-class or upper-class consumers, they are looking for something very unique and different, and that's where the African offering comes in," said Ryder."It has not only been the interest of individual consumers, but also buyers and retailers.
Hopefully some of our brands will have some physical presence (in China) very soon," she added.