Making African fashion players more prosperous

CAFET is a fashion value chain development firm

We work with governments, development agencies, businesses, and investors to develop the African fashion industry.


Areas of Focus

Infrastructure

We cultivate partnerships to deliver infrastructure solutions that address apparel value chain needs.

Education

We develop skilled fashion entrepreneurs and professionals to improve efficiency and drive industry growth.

Value Chain Innovation

We strengthen linkages and close gaps across the fashion value chain.

WHAT MAKES CAFET UNIQUE?

End-to-End Value Chain Focus

At CAFET, we take a deeply integrated approach to strengthening the fashion value chain. Our methodology is built around connecting and enabling the five stages of the fashion value chain: sourcing, design & development, production, marketing, and retail & distribution.Each solution we design helps businesses create value at each stage — and more importantly, connects the stages to work together. Functional value chains depend on coherence and coordination, and at CAFET, we enable both.

Fashion for development

CAFET is in the business of making the fashion industry a pathway to prosperity in Africa, and we believe that collaborative models and systemic approaches are the way to achieve success.


Our Services

1. Value Chain Consulting, Advisory and Research

We help organizations and governments design & implement initiatives and conduct research that accelerates industry growth by strengthening key value chain enablers such as infrastructure and funding.

2. Fashion Hub/Cluster Support

We deploy our FIT Hub model to set up, revitalize, and manage fashion hubs and clusters, integrating infrastructure, governance, and operations with critical enablers like technology and training.

3. Educational Programs

  • We deliver standardized trainings – Flagship courses delivered on their own or within broader programs.

  • We design and deliver custom trainings – Tailored sessions for specific groups of fashion entrepreneurs or professionals

4. Market Access Support

We provide buyer linkages and pre- and post-order trade support, including export readiness preparation, supply chain coordination (product development, production, logistics), and production financing.

Theory of change

Value-chain led + Collaborations driven

By addressing key challenges across all five stages of the value chain simultaneously—rather than tackling them in isolation—we unlock compounding improvements at the end of the chain: better quality, higher output, and lower costs; and the most effective way to achieve this is by coordinating and connecting existing players across the value chain to work in alignment.


Our Projects

US-Africa ATI Program Trade Facilitation

Wholesale trade services - connecting African apparel suppliers to U.S. buyers.

US-Africa Trade & Investment Facilitation

Facilitating investments and access to market for Africa apparel suppliers.

Online Fashion Certificate Programs

Online modules providing in-depth fashion business and technology education.

Offline Fashion Certificate Programs

In-person training equipping participants with hands-on skills and experience.

Vision

A globally competitive African fashion industry that fosters economic growth, facilitates job creation, and empowers communities.

"Fashion is much more than an economic asset. It is also a powerful lever for the promotion of cultural diversity, for the rediscovery of intangible cultural heritage and for the empowerment of young people and women.”
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General

STANDARD PROJECT DEPLOYMENT #1: Pre-Production & Production

FIT Hubs

We deploy our Fashion Innovation & Technology (FIT) Hubs through a franchise model. These hubs offer affordable access to fashion technology, enabling faster, more cost-effective, and efficient design, prototyping, and manufacturing to enhance competitiveness.

STANDARD PROJECT DEPLOYMENT #2: End-to-End Value Chain

Lable Lite

We deploy our hybrid venture studio and brand accelerator, modeled after a record label, to scale African fashion brands. Lable supports brands in four areas: brand & product development, infrastructure & production, market access & distribution, and financial & operational support.

Industry Pulse

UNESCO African Fashion Report: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities

Prosper Africa: Investing in Africa Creative Industries Report

Atlantic Council on Investing in Africa’s Creative

Industry Perspective by CAFET Partner, Eme Bassey

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Want more details on our work and how we can work together?

© CAFET. All rights reserved.

Cross-Border Commerce Initiatives

Africa accounts for less than 2% of global fashion trade; increasing this percentage is one of our mandates. Our cross-border commerce initiatives support African fashion players and stakeholders to increase global exports.

ONE

Export-Readiness Training

Delivered through two critical online training modules in partnership with AltSchool & YABATECH:

  • Value & Supply Chain Optimization: Preparing production and operations for export, taking into account AGOA country of origin requirements.

  • Product Development for the U.S. Market: Designing products that align with U.S. consumer preferences and standards.

TWO

Product Development Infrastructure

Providing access to fashion technology to enable faster, cheaper, and more efficient design and development for the export market.

  • Communal micro-factories providing a complete range of design and development services.

  • Learning centres offering fashion technology training.

THREE

Market Linkages

We help brands find, engage, and retain U.S. buyers:

  • Tradeshows: We curate and display products, handling all buyer interactions, product showcases, and order facilitation.

  • Buyer Sourcing: Assign experienced agent/consultant(s) to facilitate connections with buyers seeking ethically sourced, diverse products.

FOUR

Export Support

For brands that secure purchase orders, CAFET provides hands-on support with:

  • Sampling and vendor onboarding with U.S. buyers.

  • Production scaling and fulfillment using AGOA to reduce duties and tariffs.

  • Logistics and compliance to ensure smooth export processes.

  • Low-interest production financing to support timely fulfillment.

Let's connect

Want more details on our work and how we can work together?

© CAFET. All rights reserved.

Talent Development Programs

Traditional initiatives often prioritize entrepreneurship development, but without a skilled workforce, these efforts struggle to translate into lasting success. Our workforce development training develops the industry's professionals.

STEP 3

Needs Assessment

Our Fashion Innovation & Technology (FIT) Hubs provide affordable access to fashion technology enabling faster, cheaper, and more efficient design, prototyping, and manufacturing to boost competitiveness.

STEP 4

Curriculum xx

Affarel, our wholesale trade and sourcing arm, provides consulting and trade services to facilitate apparel exports to the US under AGOA, opening new markets and growth opportunities.

STEP 3

Supply xx

Our Fashion Innovation & Technology (FIT) Hubs provide affordable access to fashion technology enabling faster, cheaper, and more efficient design, prototyping, and manufacturing to boost competitiveness.

STEP 4

Talent Matching

Affarel, our wholesale trade and sourcing arm, provides consulting and trade services to facilitate apparel exports to the US under AGOA, opening new markets and growth opportunities.

Let's connect

Want more details on our work and how we can work together?

© CAFET. All rights reserved.