The Textile Industry Of Mauritius

Mauritius has emerged as a major exporter of textiles and readymade garments and a textile hub...

The textile industry is considered as the major catalyst of the Mauritian Industrial Revolution. For the past four decades, the Mauritian textile industry has spearheaded the structural transformation of the Mauritian economy. This sector has acted as the engine of economic growth, attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from various countries, creating new employment opportunities, and strengthening the manufacturing base of the economy.

The Mauritian textile industry has gone a long way from a basic producer to a vertically integrated supplier of design-led garments. Today, Mauritius is exporting to the major markets of the world namely Europe, USA and South Africa. The local textile industry is geared to face the challenges of a liberalised market place by providing flexible solutions adapted to the exact needs of buyers from the world over.

The Mauritian textile landscape is made up of a diversified base of manufacturers who are able to cater for the needs of a wide spectrum of buyers with a wide range of options, in terms of price points, volumes and runs.

Some of its leading entrepreneurial manufacturers have accumulated enough expertise to invest in additional production units in neighbouring countries, transferring knowledge to countries enjoying relatively low labour costs, while providing the right degree of flexibility for clients.

The regional transfer of Mauritian textile expertise has turned Mauritius into the textile hub of excellence in Southern Eastern Africa, making our success story a business model that is currently being benchmarked right across Africa.

Mauritius is poised to tackle challenges brought about by trade liberalisation and possible erosion of trade preferences. To face these challenges, a strong public and private sector partnership has been established and new strategies are being devised with focus on technology upgrading, process re-engineering, development of clusters and linkages, promotion of SMEs into export-oriented enterprises, skills and human resource development, product and market diversification and regional integration.

In spite of changes in the global trading environment, Mauritian manufacturers, with their usual innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, will continue to be reliable suppliers of high quality garments, offering flexibility and excellent service.

Main Products

Manufacturers in Mauritius have the capability to supply a wide range of textile products at varying price points, with a focus on quality. These include:

–T-Shirts
– Lingerie & Loungewear
– Shirts
– Sportswear
– Trousers & Denim
– Kidswear
– Pullovers
– Uniforms
– Beachwear

Brands

Manufacturers in Mauritius are supplying major brand names which also includes Topshop, Topman, River Island, Levi’s, Le Chateau, Foschinis, Burton UK, Devred, Guess, Hackett, Massimo Dutti, Naf Naf, Orvis, Peeble Beach, Puma, Calvin Klein, Woolworths, Ecko, Abercrombie & Fitch, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, Zara, Mango, Harrods, Banana Republic, Express, S.Oliver, Esprit, Jasper Conrad, Tex-Gold, La Redoute, 3 Suisses, and L.L. Bean

Export Markets

Traditionally, the main export markets for Mauritius for apparel have been Europe and the USA but since the last few years exports to the South African market have been constantly increasing.

The Export Processing Zone (EPZ) benefited significantly from the trading arrangements and the protectionist policies of the EC and the US. However, restrictions mandated by these trade regimes, reinforced under GATT, may constrain future growth in the export manufacturing sector. their activities and their markets.