Chronicle Editor
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
ARCHER Clothing, one of the oldest clothing factories in the country, has identified the global mining industry and safari sector as its key export market drivers.
The firm primarily exports its products to South Africa, Germany, Mozambique and Zambia, while also focusing on expanding its footprint domestically.
The company received a fresh start following its acquisition by Harare-based manufacturing giant, Paramount Garments.
Under the deal, Paramount Garments provided Archer Clothing with critical resources, including clothing materials and labour, while Archer contributed its established working space to the partnership.
The strategic alliance has enabled Archer Clothing to leverage its expertise and tap into new, lucrative markets, solidifying its position as a leading player in the country’s textile and apparel industry.
Responding to questions from Sunday News Business, the Group production head, Mr Sumit Sharma, said the company was producing slightly above 100 000 garments every month with the bulk destined for export markets.
“We are on the same capacity as mentioned previously of 100 000 garments every month. In addition to this, our domestic market capacity is the same. In terms of our market, the global mining sector and the safari industry are our key customers.
“The reason being Paramount/Archer know the technical needs of these industries and can fulfill their compliance all the time,” he said.
He said unfortunately, they could not do any expansion in the year 2024 as per their strategic plans due to the fire that was experienced at one of their raw material warehouses in Harare.
In December last year, Paramount Garment Works in Harare lost millions of dollars in merchandise to a fire outbreak with initial estimates showing that the firm incurred damages amounting to US$30 million.
City of Harare firefighters spent a week battling the fire, without success, due to a shortage of adequate supply of water but were then able to contain and extinguish the fire after Paramount hired bulk water suppliers to provide water to the fire engines. The leading garments manufacturer reopened in January this year.
“We were able to restock ourselves after the fire, to keep the existing capacity, but we are tight on working capital currently,” said Mr Sharma.
In terms of new equipment worth about US$200 000 sourced from China that was installed both at the Bulawayo and Harare branches last year, he said innovation has helped them to bring their cost down to compete in the exports market with other manufacturers as well as to improve Zimbabwe manpower to be skilled on latest apparel machine technology.
Mr Sharma said they were working on getting back to full capacity utilisation as, due to the fire, they lost almost 25 percent of production space in Harare.
He added: “Currently, production manpower is 1 000 to 1 800 in Bulawayo Archer and 800 in Harare Paramount respectively.”
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