Ethiopia steps up
21/11/2008
Ethiopian producers of leather and leathergoods are beginning to make an impression on the international market, a newsletter from the US embassy in Addis Ababa has said.
The newsletter highlighted leathergoods brand Taytu, suggesting discerning shoppers in New York, Paris and Tokyo may soon find themselves purchasing handbags carrying this name, which is used to market goods made by a collection of Ethiopian leather and leathergoods producers. Barney's is one of the fashion retail chains said to be interested in stocking Taytu bags.
Jonzo, one of the companies behind the Taytu name, is poised to make its mark on the global footwear busniess too.
It is building a shoe factory on the outskirts of Addis Ababa and expects to have the capacity to make 55,000 pairs a day by the end of 2009. Its goal is to export half of itsproduction. The Ethiopian government is encouraging the move, the US embassy newsletter said, by providing customs facilities, bonded warehouses and concessionary rates for land rental at the factory site.
"Footwear is a big opportunity for Ethiopia," said Jonzo's general manager, Solomon Yesuf. He said he expects Jonzo to start shipping footwear to the Brown Shoe Company in 2009.
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