*Workshop Study - Made in China, or Africa?* Eastleigh, Nairobi

Eastleigh, full of Somalian tailors and sellers, is another major market in Nairobi mainly selling (wholesaling) fabrics, clothing and accessory items. Most of them are first-hand products, made in China (even they are not labelled as such), yet do not look “Chinese” at all. Workers busily packed these new clothes into “bales” before sending them out to other local and regional markets.

We took a colourful matatu to get there. There I interviewed with B, a Somalian tailor who has over 20 years’ industry experience, in her workshop/retail store. She has continued running her former American boss’s business for over a decade, with six other former workers (now turned entrepreneurs), all excel in multiple tasks from material sourcing to designing, from tailoring to selling. I asked whether those beautiful textiles are made in China. B said, Chinese-made fabrics are cheap and of good quality, and the profit margin can be up to 80%. But she insisted, while constantly talking to two other female customers sitting behind me, that most Kitenge or Ankara fabrics she has used are produced in Tanzania - the largest production hub in Africa. Later on A, my local research assistant whispered, “this is not true - they (African tailors) just don’t want their clients know that the fabrics they use are not from here. There’s no factory in Tanzania!”. Another Kenyan fashion brand’s Production Manager frankly told us, “We source our kitenge from China. And many of their patterns are designed in the Netherlands.” We then walked by a few other stores in another building selling British-style womenswear which resemble those sold in China, and it was the first time an African seller acted rude to me, “go, go - no Chin-no here!” Was he worrying that we’re spying on their unique collections, or he just didn’t want their in-store clients associating their products with Chinese traders? I’m not sure.