Simba Apparel EPZ Expands to Meet U.S Market Demand
By Harrison Kivisu
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Simba Apparel EPZ, a leading textiles and apparel manufacturer has unveiled their new modern 26,220 square feet ‘green’ production facility in Mombasa, in the quest to create more jobs for Kenyans.
This expansion includes installation of modern production equipment and solar panels, made possible through a partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Kenya/ East
Africa Mission.
Commissioned by U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman, and Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir, the new facility increases Simba Apparel’s production to 800,000 units per month, up from 500,000 units in 2022.
Speaking at the facility after the official launch,the Whiteman said the total investment is 3 Million dollars and is expected to create about 1,700 new jobs for area residents.
“So far, Simba Apparel has employed an additional 1,700 workers and projects production of 1 million units per month by December 2024.
USAID works to advance Kenya’s textile and apparel sector’s potential to serve as a source of gainful employment for its fast-growing, young population,”she Said.
On his part Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir said the facility is a game changer since it is eradicating poverty by the creation of jobs to hundreds of Changamwe residents.
“This is a major milestone in the creation of jobs,this means reduction of crime by economically creating an economic opportunity for the jobless,”said Nassir.
Simba Apparel was established in 1992, becoming the first factory to commence operations in Mombasa’s Export Processing Zone (EPZ), with less than 1,000 workers, and as the first private apparel manufacturer in the County during the Pre-Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)
era.
This was in response to the Kenya Government’s new EPZ Program in 1990 whose objective was to promote exports, boost foreign exchange earnings, encourage the transfer of technology and skills, employment creation, and enhancement of industrialization.
The company specializes in the manufacture of men’s and women’s fashion wear, casual wear, work wear, hospital wear, and hospitality wear.
In 2022, Simba Apparel’s export-oriented model employed up to 3,000 workers on a single work shift system with a monthly throughput averaging around 500,000 units of garments.
The company’s annual average exports were valued at US $28.8 million worth of international ready- made garments exclusively to the United States of America, utilizing AGOA.
In 2023,responding to Prosper Africa’s goal of increasing two-way trade between Africa and the U.S.,USAID Kenya/East Africa partnered with Simba Apparel to increase the company’s production capacity, geared towards increasing exports to the U.S. and boosting the company’s annual
revenue by 25 percent.
With their new production facility christened ‘the green building’ due to energy conservation measures put in place and new state-of-the-art equipment, Simba Apparel’s output has skyrocketed. Currently, Simba Apparel produces 800,000 units per month with its annual exports to the U.S. almost doubling since its partnership with USAID.
“We started running a night shift and added four new production lines to cater to the current high demand from our buyers. We have had to establish a satellite factory in Nairobi with eight production lines that are exclusively creating garments for Simba Apparel and employing 700 people,” says Simba Apparel EPZ Director Janardanan Myliyat.
The sector can also increase Kenya’s global trade and advance economic diversification, serving as a springboard to advancemanufacturing underpinned by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
