Leadership, Innovation & Vision for a New Era

“Africa has been rising to the top of many buyers”.


However, the vastness of the continent - and the diversity amongst regions - makes this a daunting task.



A new platform aims to make this easier by gathering key supplier information and organising it in an easy to search database. Not only that, but the platform also provides an entire ecosystem that ties in support services from inspection to freelance designers.



Today I am speaking with Dirk Robens, CEO of ABANA, a digital solution for discovering Africa’s apparel manufacturers. Dirk has spent over 30 years in the apparel industry, both on the manufacturing side as well as serving as Sourcing Director for Mr. Price Group, Africa’s largest retailer. He will be explaining what ABANA offers, as well as giving us a closer look at sourcing opportunities in Africa.



Mauritius and Madagascar have a long history as knitwear suppliers. As African nations, they also have duty-free status to both the EU and the US, as well as the ability to handle small orders with short lead times.