China, South Africa textile trade show opens in Cape Town, boosting bilateral industry cooperation

CAPE TOWN, July 15– China Premium Textile South Africa and Allfashion Sourcing 2026, one of Africa’s major textile and fashion trade exhibitions, kicked off on Tuesday in Cape Town, with participants from China and South Africa upbeat about expanding bilateral cooperation in the industry.

Held at the Cape Town International Convention Center from Tuesday to Thursday, the annual event serves as a major sourcing platform for the textile, apparel, footwear, and fashion industries, bringing together manufacturers, suppliers, designers, retailers, buyers, and other industry stakeholders to explore business opportunities, forge partnerships, and showcase future-oriented solutions.

This year’s event features around 150 exhibitors, with nearly half of them from China. The program also includes fashion shows, thematic forums, panel discussions, and industry talks. Addressing the opening ceremony, Chinese Consul-General in Cape Town Ren Faqiang noted that South Africa is China’s largest trading partner in Africa, while China has remained South Africa’s largest trading partner for 17 consecutive years, with bilateral trade reaching 53.58 billion U.S. dollars in 2025.

“The textile industry is a traditional area of China-South Africa economic cooperation, and also a key sector for industrial capacity coordination and market connectivity between the two sides,” Ren said. He also noted that China’s zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries, including South Africa, took effect on May 1, covering South African-grown cotton, textile raw materials, and other related products.