Key Highlights:

• Sri Lankan textile group, Star Garments, inaugurates its first factory in Africa with an anticipated 4,520 jobs by 2030.
• This $15 million project, backed by global lingerie provider Komar and International Finance Corporation (IFC), could position Togo as a regional cotton processing hub.

Star Garments Group has officially launched its first African factory in Togo, located in Lomé's Adétikopé Industrial Platform (PIA). This significant project, undertaken by Komar and the IFC, is expected to generate 4,520 jobs by 2030.

The textile group from Sri Lanka, affiliated with American apparel giant Komar, officially began operations at its new factory on June 18, a pioneering project for Togo, which aspires to become a regional hub for cotton processing.

The ceremony was overseen by Togolese Council President Faure Gnassingbé, gathering ministers, diplomats, representatives from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and group leaders. Every attendee celebrated the job creation, investment, and potential for Togo's industrial fabric that the project brings.

"This is not just a factory. This is an investment, a partnership, a wager on the future of Togo," stated Arumugampillai Sukumaran, CEO of Star Garments Group, recalling that the decision to choose Togo began in 2019. After considering options in Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Benin, the manufacturer settled on Lomé due to its impressive port infrastructure, capacity to organize a complete supply chain, and a business-friendly environment.

Named Renaissance Togo, the 3.7-hectare factory seeks to set the standard for 'Made in Africa' textiles on international markets. It currently employs 304 people but aims to gradually increase to 2,000 direct jobs, over 60% of which are intended for women, with a target of 4,520 direct and indirect jobs by 2030.

Charlie Komar, CEO of the eponymous group and owner of Star Garments, believes the factory symbolizes a new era. "This is the beginning of a new chapter of textile brilliance in West Africa," he said. As the head of a century-old family business, Komar views Togo as a new strategic frontier.

This $15 million investment is supported by the IFC, the World Bank Group's private-sector arm. Olivier Buyoya, the IFC's West Africa Regional Director, praised the project as a foundational scheme for employment, particularly female employment.

 This initiative may herald a repositioning of West Africa's textile industry, previously just exporting raw cotton. Building this substantial unit at the PIA embarks on a strategy of industrial relocation, likely advantageous for the emerging textile ecosystem in the region: a textile skills training center, local spinning mills, and integrated port logistics.

For the Togolese government, this operation is a showcase of its industrial strategy: attracting investments with strong ripple effects, job creation, and compatibility with climate commitments.

This article was initially published in French by Fiacre E. Kakpo

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho