Ethiopian shoe manufacturers cement export strategies
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (LLPI) has helped Ethiopian footwear manufacturers prepare an export plan, and says it will offer the service to other leather companies wishing to follow suit.
It is the first time it has offered the service to private companies, having previously prepared strategies for government institutions in Sudan, Uganda, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Kidane Haile, chairman of the Ethio International Footwear Cluster Cooperative Society, said the document will enable them fill gaps related to skills, equipment and finance.
The cooperative is aiming to double its daily production capacity to 12,500 pairs after receiving a $25,000 from The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank.
Ethiopia’s Minister for Industry, Tadesse Haile, has encouraged other companies to make use of the document, saying there is vast potential for leather sector development and increasing demand for leather products.
