Pose.ZA

Threads Accelerator Programme has decided on the 12 fashion entrepreneurs that will take their programme which will take place over a 12 week duration in classroom hubs in Port Elizabeth, Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. From over 400 entries received across South Africa, twelve South African fashion industry creatives will kick off the programme this week. “Selecting the finalists from the deluge of entries we received was thrilling and somewhat overwhelming – we really had our work cut out for us in whittling the list down to the final 12” comments Tania Habimana, co-founder of the Threads programme “The creativity in the South African fashion industry is world class - all that these entrepreneurs really need is the vital sales, administrative, financial, and marketing rigor that’ll take their businesses to the next level. We at Threads, alongside with our sponsor Standard Bank, and partner Mercedes-Benz, cannot wait to commence this journey with these very deserving entrepreneu

A staggering statistic, considering that the apparel and textile industry has the potential both to create jobs and contribute to a country’s economy. In today’s digital world, consumers worldwide are eager to discover products from afar – in this regard, fashion is a powerful brand builder for a country interested in exporting their cultural capital. Of all the potential obstacles to growing this market in South Africa, it seems creative talent and exposure are the least of what hinders upcoming fashion brands from thriving on the international scene, access to finance even less. There is a definite need for teaching the business of fashion – fashion entrepreneurs need to be supported in professionalizing their enterprises and running a truly profitable business. There is real opportunity to take South Africa’s up-and-coming fashion designers and turn them into powerful fashion CEO’s. Given the appropriate support, these fashion entrepreneurs could be running profitable businesses