…africa’s E1.1 trillion fashion market
…creatives urged to own their brands
…IP turns creativity into global capital
…protecting fashion beyond borders
BY NELIWE NGUBANE
EZULWINI— Africa’s fashion industry is generating billions in consumer spending, yet the continent continues to lose out on the ownership and economic value of the brands shaping the global fashion landscape.
This was the key message from Eswatini Intellectual Property Office( EIPO) Registrar Dr Celucolo Dludlu during the IP RUNWAY: THE BUSINESS OF FASHION, FURNITURE & ART, held at The Royal Villas today.
Dr Dludlu revealed that Africa’s apparel market had reached approximately E1.1 trillion, while consumers spend up to 25 per cent of their disposable income on clothing.
Despite the massive market, he said the continent’s economic capture remained only a fraction of the global fashion industry.
“We are dressing the world, but we are not owning brands,” Dr Dludlu said.
His presentation, titled “The Business of Fashion — A New Era of Ownership and Global Capital,” focused on the need for African creatives to understand intellectual property (IP) as more than legal protection, but as a business tool capable of creating wealth and attracting global capital.
Dr Dludlu opened by asking attendees to look at the person sitting next to them and identify the label they were wearing, using the simple exercise to demonstrate the power and value attached to brands.
He argued that Africa’s creative advantage lies in its culture, imagination and unique stories, but these elements must be protected and commercially developed if designers are to benefit from them.
“IP is the new passport for the fashion designer. It turns local creativity into global capital,” he said.
The IP Runway brought together stakeholders from the creative industries to explore how intellectual property can strengthen businesses in fashion, furniture and art.
Dr Dludlu urged creatives to move beyond simply creating products and focus on building, protecting and owning brands that can cross borders.
The session highlighted the growing need for designers and other creatives to understand trademarks and other forms of intellectual property as they seek to transform local creativity into sustainable businesses with international potential.
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