According to a New Report From Ananse.com, Digital Innovation is What’s Fueling the Growth of the African Fashion Industry.

Johannesburg, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria – July 21, 2023
Africa may become a worldwide exporter of goods for the fashion and creative industries and act as a role model for inclusive growth with more focused investments. According to a recent study on the transformative impact of digital innovation in fostering the expansion of the African fashion sector, this is the case.
Together with the research company Botho Emerging Markets Group, the Mastercard Foundation, and the African Development Bank’s Fashionomics initiative, Ananse.com, an innovative startup e-commerce platform that connects African designers with domestic and international consumers, co-authored the study.

Today, the international fashion business intelligence platform The Business of Fashion Live launched a white paper titled “Unleashing the Commercial Potential of African Creatives Through Digital Technology” that offers helpful insights into the state of the African creative sector and the potential of digital technology.

Digital innovation has had a revolutionary role in propelling the expansion of the African fashion sector.
The importance of user-friendly digital platforms designed specifically for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses is emphasized in the research, which makes it easier for them to access international markets. In order to increase the success of African fashion creatives, it emphasizes the necessity for digital and marketing training as well as aid in securing and delivering significant orders.

Key findings from the report include:
• The African creative sector represents a vibrant and untapped market with significant economic
potential.
• Digital innovation is creating unprecedented opportunities for African fashion creatives,
enabling them to reach global audiences and achieve commercial success.
• Investment in skills development, e-commerce infrastructure, and policy support is crucial to
unlocking the full potential of African creatives.
• Collaborative efforts among stakeholders, including governments, private sector entities, and
development organizations, are essential for fostering a thriving creative ecosystem.

In order to help public, commercial, and development sector players create solutions that allow small and micro fashion firms in Africa to expand, the goal of this research was to comprehend and describe the African fashion sector and the profile of the African fashion entrepreneur.
Sam Mensah, the founder of Ananse.com and a Ghanaian who previously worked in Silicon Valley, urged stakeholders to invest in the policies and infrastructure needed to support the success of fashion creatives on the continent.
“It calls upon stakeholders to harness the enormous potential of digital innovation,” Mensah said.

The study used a hybrid research methodology that combined primary and secondary sources. A thorough 43-question poll with a mix of qualitative and quantitative questions was used for the primary research, with respondents from respondents in 46 nations selecting Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa as the top three.

One of the top three nations.
Gender inequality in African creative businesses is another topic covered in the White Paper.
The survey indicated that although women are overrepresented in the creative industries, their low incomes have a disproportionately negative impact on them; only 32% of female entrepreneurs make more than $500 in monthly sales, compared to 42% of men.

Women are also less adept at using digital technology and utilize e-commerce and digital payments less frequently than men do. In fact, women are 31% less likely than men to have an e-commerce website. It highlights the value of tailored policies and tactics.

that address the unique issues faced by female-owned creative firms and help women-led small and medium-sized businesses. Policymakers are advised to increase the number of programs for vocational training that address the lack of business, technology, and marketing expertise among African fashion entrepreneurs, particularly among women. With these measures, innovative small and micro businesses will be better equipped to gain from the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

For the benefit of the creative economy in Africa and around the world, improved policy coordination and cooperative investments by public, private, and development sector organizations have the potential to spark new value chains.

Download your free copy of the White Paper Here.

About Ananse
Ananse is a new e-commerce platform that enables customers from across the globe to purchase products from fashion designers, artists, and artisans located all over the African continent.
The company’s training, end-to-end payment, and logistics solution offer creative entrepreneurs in Africa a beneficial plug-and-play e-commerce service, enabling them to trade internationally and expand their businesses.

About the Mastercard Foundation
One of the biggest foundations in the world and a Canadian organization, The Mastercard Foundation, aims to promote financial inclusion and education.
It collaborates with forward-thinking businesses to make young people in Canada’s Indigenous communities and in Africa access to respectable jobs.
When Mastercard went public in 2006, it generously donated money to start the Foundation.
The Foundation is a distinct entity from the firm and operates independently. The Board of Directors and management of the Foundation decide on its policies, procedures, and programs.

Nothando Kleinbooi
Communications Consultant
African Communications Group
M: +27 (0) 84 758 5395
T: +27 (0) 10 300 0213
nothando@africancommunicationsgroup.com 

Georgie Ndirangu
Head, Pan-African Program Communications
Mastercard Foundation
M: +254 (0) 724 339 969
gndirangu@mastercardfdn.org

Content courtesy of Ananse, Mastercard Foundation & NFH