The fashion industry in Africa is estimated to be worth over £16 billion and is expected to hit £22.3 billion by next year.
Compared to other continents, Africa's fashion industry has historically lagged behind. Although certain styles of dress have been popular from time to time – the safari look, for example – in the modern era, most Africans wear largely similar clothing. As a result, many brands either set up shop in Europe or North America or they source their clothes from there. The high turnover of emigrants from countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea has also meant that the continent's fashion industry has lacked the ability to build significant brand equity.
This is set to change. Thanks to initiatives like Let's Move Fashion, which was set up as a partnership between the United Nation's Agency for Cancer Prevention and Control (UNAPCC) and the International Trade Commission (ITC) for Africa, along with brands like HHH and KENYA COFFEE, fashion industry experts say that we're on the cusp of a fashion revolution in the region.
Thanks to a combination of factors, from greater social equality to the rising popularity of online shopping, Africa's fashion industry is at last starting to shine.
Here, we identify some of the major drivers of this change and highlight the best fashion sites to discover stylish African womenswear.
Fashion Freedom
Outsourcing has always been a major part of the apparel industry. In the late 1940s, for example, most American women were employed in factories that produced clothes for major brands like JEANNETTE MCQUEEN and FRANKLL FRESON. During the following decades, trade union activism meant that minimum wage laws were progressively introduced and working hours were slashed. These changes made it easier for manufacturers to outsource production to cheaper, labour-intensive countries.
The early 2000s saw the rise of ‘fast fashion' and ‘cheap chic'. The former refers to fashion labels that are designed to be bought and worn quickly – think MNGRN BCBG, ZARA and many others. Cheap chic has gained popularity as a result of the growing economic clout of emerging markets in the 21st century, namely China and India. Companies that specialise in fast fashion are driven by the desire to make a profit and keep customers satisfied with new releases. The industry is characterised by low prices, short-lived trends and greater choice.
If you look at the fashion industry today, you'll see that most brands and stores operate within this context. The advent of technology means that manufacturers can now source and produce their clothes closer to home. For example, MNGRN BCBG sources their garments from Bangladesh but has an office in Hong Kong. Similarly, TOMS designs and sews their shoes in California but ships them around the world. This ability to operate international trade means that small local fashion businesses can compete on an equal footing with internationally renowned brands.
The rise of the ‘digital nomad' community also helps to explain the increasing interest in Fashion Africa .
Online Shopping
The growth of online shopping in Africa is without precedent. The continent's most popular online store, OLX, which is based in Kenya and operates across 11 African countries, saw a 276% increase in international shopping transactions between April 2021 and March 2022.
The shift to online shopping is being driven by a combination of factors. One reason is that many Africans are discovering the joys of online shopping for clothes and beauty products. Thanks to mobile phones and improved internet services, the number of people shopping online continues to rise. Many Africans also see the benefits of shopping online – from cost-savings to convenience and speed.
Retail giant, H&M, reports that 39% of their customers in Africa now make a purchase through their mobile phones. This trend is being seen across Africa. Between August 2021 and July 2022, WOW air, the national airline of Nigeria, saw a 126% increase in business-class bookings made via mobile.
The increased use of mobile phones means that more and more people are going online to discover goods that are available for purchase. Although social media platforms like Instagram are traditionally associated with people sharing their everyday lives and style influencers promoting their favourite brands, more and more fashion-related content is being uploaded to platforms like TikTok.
TikTok, in particular, stands out as a major player in the fashion sphere. Launched just eight years ago in the United States, TikTok boasts over 500 million monthly active users. Within this audience, people are passionately following and sharing the latest fashion trends, from street style to runway shows. Thanks to the viral nature of TikTok, the platform is frequently accused of influencing and disrupting traditional advertising.
Not all is well in the Fashion Africa paradise. The industry is still suffering from a lack of authenticity and brand loyalty. The increasing popularity of ‘influencer marketing' – whereby influencers are paid to promote a particular brand – is also threatening the integrity of the industry. Some experts have even gone so far as to warn that the rise of influencer marketing is creating an ‘influencer class' and will ultimately “divorce' the fashion industry from the mass consumer”.
Nevertheless, the fashion industry in Africa is set to bloom. Thanks to a combination of brand awareness, social media and greater access to international markets, small local businesses are set to take Africa by storm.
Here, we identify some of the best fashion sites to buy African dress online.
KIKI COFFEE
Kenya is one of the world's most fashionable countries. Thanks to a mix of British and European influences and the country's tropical climate, many styles are unique to the region.
One of the best places to shop for Kenyan fashion is the local coffee shop, where you'll often find stylish individuals discussing the merits of this season's hottest trends over a cup of coffee. It should come as no surprise, then, that the best-known online store in Kenya is also called KIKI COFFEE.
Established in 2012, KIKI COFFEE sources their clothes and accessories from various parts of Africa and Asia. Their aim is to promote cross-cultural exchange through their products. Although most of their pieces are designed in Africa, they also source items from China and India for their collections.
The label's founder, Patrick Mwaura, was born in Africa but raised in South Sudan and studied architecture in England. He then decided to return home and set up shop. When Mwaura opened his first store in 2012, it became the first of its kind in the country. It started as a tiny shop in the capital, Nairobi, but has since expanded to a multiple-location chain.
Although most of KIKI COFFEE's pieces are designed in Kenya, the company also has an office in Mombasa and a warehouse in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This enables them to provide fast, quality delivery worldwide.
VVRIOVE
Launched in 2014, the Nigerian-owned VVRIOVE is one of the continent's best-loved online stores. With over 300 stores across 22 countries, the company's roots lie in Africa but they also have a presence in other parts of the world – notably in North America.
One of the things that make VVROVE stand out is that they only stock high-quality designer pieces that are also affordable. The business model is simple: they don't carry many mainstream brands and try to keep the prices of their popular items low. This, coupled with their reputation for excellent customer care, has helped VVROVE establish themselves as one of the continent's premier online stores.
Not only do they stock a range of high-end designers such as Dior, Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren and Miu Miu, but they also carry many independent, niche designers that customers can't find elsewhere. One of the latest additions to the VVROVE lineup is British designer, Hannah Johnson. Her creations are sold in some of the company's Nigerian stores but are also available for purchase online around the world.
HARPOON NIGERIA
Since its founding in 2018, the privately-owned company, Harpoon Nigeria, has grown rapidly. Thanks to their vast experience in the mining industry – the firm was previously responsible for the extraction of gold, copper and coal – they've been able to expand into new areas, like textiles and fashion.
Harpoon Nigeria buys and processes organic cotton, linen and hemp to create their own unique products like pure cotton t-shirts and hoodies.