Africa Textile Talks: 5 Great Reasons to Go

Africa Textile Talks, hosted by Twyg and Imiloa Collective, is once again bringing a stellar series of talks, tours, presentations, exhibits and demonstrations of what an African textile ecosystem that acts with care for people and the planet looks like.

The event runs from 15 to 17 August 2024 at Workshop17, V&A Waterfront. Here’s what you can look forward to:

An insightful lineup of talks and panel discussions

This year’s programme promises a packed schedule of exciting talks and panel discussions from some of South Africa’s leading industry experts and the rest of the continent. Listen and learn from makers who practise and explore Earth-kind methods of growing, spinning, weaving, designing and making.

Nigerian fashion designer, Onwuka, will headline the 2024 edition

Onukwa is the founder and Creative Director of the Nigerian artisanal clothing brand NKWO and will kick off the proceedings with her keynote presentation. Recognised as a pioneer of sustainable fashion on the continent, the Abuja-based designer has earned a number of international accolades for her work towards textile waste reduction and the preservation of traditional craft skills. These include being named as a Fashion Impact Fund’s Conscious Fashion Campaign honoree, and the winner of the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards for Emerging Designer in 2022.

‘What is the point in creating more than we can use if it causes us to live less of a life?’ asks Onwuka in her brand’s founding principle, The Philosophy of Less. It was with this question in mind that Onwuka and her team at NKWO Design Studio developed a ‘new African textile’ dubbed Dakala cloth using a technique that involves stripping and sewing together sections of waste fabric.

Interesting textile exhibitions to see

Pop in and view a series of informative exhibitions looking at regenerative farming methods and sustainable farming practices, and a post-fossil fuel fashion and textile industry in Africa.

At the 2024 edition of Africa Textile Talks, there’s a particular focus on ‘looking back to look forward’ with versatile ancient materials such as barkcloth (a non-woven cloth made from trees) and the role of kelp-based fibres and wool in the textile industry.

Go on a tour of Cape Town’s clothing factories and design studios

Twyg’s founder Jackie May will host a guided tour of the textile factory Svenmill and other design studios on Friday, 16 August. The full itinerary will be released soon.

A day of sustainable clothes swapping, mending and more at the Slow Fashion Festival

Looking for ways to get involved and more educated on sustainable fashion in South Africa? On Saturday, 17 August, Twyg is hosting the Slow Fashion Festival in collaboration with 44 Stanley and the V&A Watershed.

You can look forward to a day of learning, mending and swapping pre-loved clothes alongside other sustainable fashion enthusiasts. The Slow Fashion Festival is free to attend – a fee of R50pp applies if you want to join the clothes-swapping experience, and must be paid at the entrance.

How to book tickets to Africa Textile Talks

Cost: From R250pp to R400pp, book via Quicket

When: Running from 15 to 17 August, various times
Where: CTICC (Cape Town International Convention Centre), Convention Square, 1 Lower Long Street

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