New report puts Morocco, Italy and China in shoe producing axis
19/03/2015
Analysis by Guepard Conseil Group chief executive, Abdelmalek Alaoui, concludes that there are three main reasons why Morocco can become a shoemaking success, the first of which is the North African country’s potential to produce much more leather than it does at the moment.
Mr Alaoui says in his report, which has the title ‘Triple Opportunity for Moroccan Footwear’, that far too much raw material is going to waste in Morocco instead of being turned into leather. He says that one measure, a simple strategy for carrying out the professional collection and preservation of animal skins by specialist companies at the time of the festival of Eid al-Adha, could satisfy 40% of Morocco’s current leather raw material needs.
Aside from its potential in leather, the report also highlights Morocco’s proximity to Italy as a major advantage. It praises Italy’s expertise in the design and manufacture of shoes, as well as its expertise in producing and using leather and machinery. According to Mr Alaoui, Italian consultants and technicians who have been reluctant to travel to Asia to share their expertise because it’s too far from home may be willing to work for periods of time in Morocco, which is only a few hours away.
The third of the triple advantage he says Morocco has is that increasing labour costs in China means major shoe manufacturing groups there want to relocate production to lower-cost locations, with Morocco as a destination of choice in North Africa. He quotes a government plan for industrial acceleration, introduced in the spring of 2014, which opens the door for Chinese investors to put money into new dedicated industrial zones across Morocco.
He envisages a new footwear production axis developing with Morocco, Italy and China working in partnership.
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