Building a resilient clothing and textile industry in Cape Town, South Africa

The clothing and textile industry in Cape Town faces significant risks from water scarcity, energy instability (load shedding), and a linear 'take, make and waste' business model. To build resilience, the Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) facilitates resource efficiency and industrial symbiosis, helping businesses divert waste from landfills and reduce water consumption. Key interventions include water pinch analysis, borehole installation, and the adoption of solar PV. The document argues that facilitated, impartial programs like WISP are strategic assets for urban resilience by providing rapid adaptation and trusted information during crises.

• The clothing and textile industry in Cape Town is vulnerable to climate-related threats, specifically water scarcity and supply chain risks regarding inputs like cotton.
• The 2017 drought in the Western Cape severely impacted the industry through municipal water uncertainty, a mandatory 45% reduction in consumption, and water tariffs that increased by 100% in less than a year.
• The industry's reliance on a linear business model is problematic, with only 13% of total material input currently recycled after use, while global fashion industry waste often ends up in landfills or bonfires.
• The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) has supported 41 clothing and textile companies since 2013, creating 30 resource exchange 'synergies' that divert an average of 1,200 tonnes of materials from landfills annually.
• Specific water resilience interventions have led to significant savings: ACA Threads reduced water consumption by 70% over three years using water pinch analysis, and K-way installed a borehole system to save 1.5 million litres of municipal water per year.
• To mitigate energy insecurity and load shedding, businesses such as K-Way and TCI Apparel have invested in solar rooftop PV installations.
• WISP serves as a strategic resource for the City of Cape Town because it acts as an impartial, non-profit knowledge hub that can rapidly adapt to crises and leverage industry-specific databases to prioritize interventions.

APA

GreenCape (2019). Building a resilient clothing and textile industry in Cape Town, South Africa. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Textiles_GreenCape_Resilience-Report_Interactive_20190801.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Building a resilient clothing and textile industry in Cape Town, South Africa. 2019. https://greencape.co.za/assets/Textiles_GreenCape_Resilience-Report_Interactive_20190801.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Building a resilient clothing and textile industry in Cape Town, South Africa |date=2019 |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/Textiles_GreenCape_Resilience-Report_Interactive_20190801.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2019building, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Building a resilient clothing and textile industry in Cape Town, South Africa}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2019}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/Textiles_GreenCape_Resilience-Report_Interactive_20190801.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }