QwaQwa Textile Cluster
By Thabo Mosia and Bongane Tshabalala
On Thursday, 20 March 2025, the Free State’s MEC for Finance, Economic Development, and Tourism, Ketso Moses Makume, officially launched the Textile Manufacturing Cluster in Phuthaditjhaba, QwaQwa. This landmark initiative, held in collaboration with the Executive Mayor of Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality, is designed to revitalise the textile sector in the region, support township economies, and stimulate sustainable job creation. “Industrial parks are used as platforms to attract investment, foster technological learning and innovation, and create jobs,” said MEC Makume during the cluster’s launch. The announcement and accompanying speech signalled a renewed commitment to building a “united, self-reliant economy” rooted in collaboration, innovation, and local empowerment.
A Strategic Initiative for Economic Recovery
The launch of the Textile Manufacturing Cluster in QwaQwa marks a turning point for industrial development in the Free State. Long grappling with the effects of deindustrialisation, youth unemployment, and economic stagnation, Phuthaditjhaba has often been cited as a former hub of textile production that gradually declined due to globalisation, infrastructure neglect, and limited access to capital.
The cluster seeks to reverse this trajectory. By uniting manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses into a single industrial park, the Free State provincial government hopes to lower operating costs, enhance productivity, and foster long-term industrial resilience. The park provides shared services, including ICT infrastructure, water and energy solutions, storage facilities, and marketing support—strategic resources aimed at reducing business overheads while boosting efficiency.
This initiative aligns closely with the Free State Growth and Development Strategy (FSGDS), which envisions expanding the manufacturing sector’s contribution to provincial GDP. The textiles subsector, in particular, is known for being labour-intensive and remains key to absorbing unemployed youth, especially women and young people living in previously marginalised communities.
The Launch: Messages of Unity and Practical Strategy
The launch event drew key stakeholders, including local textile entrepreneurs, SMMEs, municipal leadership, and representatives of the Free State Development Corporation (FDC). Addressing the audience, MEC Makume emphasised unity, resilience, and a shift away from individualistic business practices towards cooperative development.
“Let’s build a united, self-reliant economy,” Makume told the crowd, adding that the success of the cluster depends not only on government support but on the willingness of entrepreneurs to collaborate, share resources, and speak in one voice when engaging stakeholders.
He explained the fundamental difference between a “cluster” and “cooperative,” noting that in a cluster, individuals still own and manage their businesses independently. However, by clustering together, participants can leverage collective buying power, access joint infrastructure, and engage in cooperative marketing strategies. Makume provided the example of informal traders who bulk-purchase goods, set shared prices, and manage logistics as a group.
“This doesn’t take your business away,” Makume said. “You still run your own operation. But the shared model allows for access to things you couldn’t afford alone.”
The Power of Clustering: A Blueprint for Inclusive Growth
Clustering, as presented by MEC Makume, is not just a development model—it is a mindset shift. He described how the cluster model promotes innovation, lowers costs, and builds resilience in emerging economies. By clustering textile manufacturers, suppliers, designers, and marketers in one geographical area, businesses can benefit from each other’s presence.
Makume noted that this approach has already gained international recognition. “These clusters are now recognised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization,” he said. “It’s an international concept that is being practised by other countries.”
Within this model, security concerns, infrastructure maintenance, and operational efficiencies can be resolved jointly. For example, Makume suggested that instead of each company hiring private security, the cluster could install a shared security system—cameras, fencing, and onsite guards—collectively funded and jointly managed.
“Sometimes we don’t need to wait for national or provincial government to provide all the answers,” he added. “We need to start thinking outside the box.”
Addressing Infrastructure and Operational Challenges
MEC Makume did not shy away from acknowledging the challenges facing businesses in QwaQwa. He identified three major issues affecting the region’s industrial areas: unreliable electricity supply, water shortages, and vandalism. However, he positioned these challenges not as stop signs but as “guidelines”—points of navigation for a determined and united business community.
He stressed the importance of collective problem-solving. “We must begin now to think about this concept as the way to go,” he told attendees. “Let’s resolve issues together, like security, maintenance, and electricity access, through unified action.”
Makume also highlighted how the state’s constrained budget requires businesses to become more self-sufficient. “I don’t want to tell you we don’t have money in the country. All those things are an indication that we don’t have new money. But we’ve got plans. We’ve got ideas.”
By pooling resources and working together, the cluster can install shared water tanks, adopt solar energy solutions, and create infrastructure maintenance plans that save money and time.
Supporting Local Business and Skills Development
One of the key aims of the Textile Manufacturing Cluster is to uplift local businesses and promote skills development among youth and women. Makume praised local entrepreneurs for their resilience, but he noted that sustainable progress requires a shift toward “intentional support” of small businesses.
He encouraged township entrepreneurs to form partnerships and build coalitions that would amplify their voices when applying for government support. “If you want assistance from government, don’t come alone. Come as a master,” he said. “Your voice will be even more loud than when you come as individuals.”
The cluster will provide access to shared machinery—such as multi-functional textile machines capable of producing various items including trousers and jerseys. This collective infrastructure investment reduces costs while creating space for training and mentorship. It also helps youth access practical experience, further positioning QwaQwa as a skills-based economy.
Makume’s message to aspiring entrepreneurs was clear: “Let’s turn everywhere where people have gathered with the intention of creating jobs into hubs of support.”
Partnering for Progress: Government, SMMEs, and the Private Sector
Makume reiterated that the Free State Department of Economic Development and Tourism is committed to supporting clusters through both financial and non-financial means. While acknowledging budgetary constraints, he emphasised the value of innovative thinking and collaboration.
He also called on municipal leaders, particularly the Executive Mayor of Maluti-A-Phofung, to mobilise local businesses and encourage them to adopt the cluster model. “If you are united and you are trusted, the MEC said there’s a 100% chance of being assisted in a very different way,” he stated.
Public-private partnerships will be critical to the success of this initiative. Makume challenged local institutions and corporates to contribute, whether through funding, training, or market access. He also highlighted the need for improved infrastructure to attract investors, noting that “you can’t ask investors to come if the toilets are 5 kilometres away.”
The FDC and other agencies have been instructed to identify viable business opportunities, prioritise procurement from cluster members, and assist with marketing and export strategies.
Conclusion: A Foundation for a Better Future
The launch of the Textile Manufacturing Cluster in QwaQwa is not just a ribbon-cutting event—it is a bold step toward building an inclusive, job-creating, and self-reliant economy. MEC Ketso Makume’s call for collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision is more than rhetoric; it reflects a practical strategy rooted in global best practices and tailored to South Africa’s unique socio-economic context.
As local businesses begin to operate within this new framework, the cluster is expected to spark a renaissance in textile manufacturing in the Free State. The initiative also offers a blueprint for other provinces to follow, showcasing how clustering, unity, and proactive governance can rebuild struggling industries and unlock new economic opportunities.
In Makume’s words, “Even when we fall, we’re going to fall together. But even when we rise, we are going to rise together.”
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