Shweshwe fabrics

South African cotton fabrics

Shweshwe is a printed cotton fabric used primarily for traditional Sotho (South Africa & Lesotho) clothing. The fabric is produced in a variety of colors and designs characterized by geometric patterns. Due to its timeless popularity, Shweshwe is also known as the denim of South Africa. Just like before, the fabrics are now produced in the traditional way using so-called “blue print” copper roll printing. The Shweshwe fabrics are now produced in Zwelitsha in the Eastern Cape of South Africa by the South African company Da Gama Textiles, which has the sole manufacturing rights. Over 600 employees earn a living at Da Gama Textiles, which has significant economic importance for the regional economy around Zwelitsha and the Eastern Cape. Da Gama Textiles is the last major textile manufacturer in a once thriving textile industry and faces major challenges in asserting itself against cheap Asian imports. The company also faces the important transformational task of making production as sustainable and resource-saving as possible in the coming decades.