The South African fiber industry hopes to regain the glory of its golden days as international buyers and investors set their sights on sustainable fiber source Earlier in October, SA’s wool industry participated in Europe’s Torino Fashion Match for the first time. Cape Wools SA general manager Deon Saayman spoke at the event as part of a virtual Focus Africa segment with the aim of creating awareness of the sustainability of the South African wool clip and generating interest in beneficiation in the wool pipeline in South Africa. He said the move signaled a significant boost for the country’s wool sector.

Increasing the production and export of wool to Europe will be a game-changer for SA. An inclusive approach targeting global marketing on one end, as well as community upliftment on ground-level, is sought to strengthen the industry. The recent awarding of a R5m grant to the Free State’s Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Rural Development and Extension (Censarde) hopes to empower communities to create a sustainable livelihood for communal wool farmers in the province in the long run.