Sustainability of Apparel Supply Chain in South Africa

Abstract

The researchers documented the sustainability characteristics of a cotton apparel supply chain in South Africa. In-depth interviews were conducted across the entire supply chain from cotton farmers to a retailer. McDonough and Braungart's triple top line model was applied for identifying the three pillars of sustainability, that is, economy, equity, and ecology, and how these pillars influenced and impacted each other. Across the supply chain economic factors were the drivers for adoption of sustainable practices, and the ecology dimension was the weakest pillar. This suggested leveraging economic support within the supply chain would ultimately influence the sustainability of the supply chain as a whole. To develop a sustainable apparel supply chain in South Africa, it is recommended the economic challenges be identified and addressed to free up savings that can be invested in sustainable practices and to improve collaboration across the supply chain to add value to sustainable practices.

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“…Factors to especially consider are, how user-friendly they are, availability, dependability, response time, and their adaptability (Hung-Joubert & Erdis, 2019). Other researchers focussed largely on the financial aspect of the business (, Esfahbod et al, 2016); Cao et al, 2017). Drawing on not breaking the bottom line as a priority.…”

Apparel sourcing in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Many investors are of the view that SSA could benefit from manufacturing textiles and apparel, especially products made from cotton, because of the substantial volume of cotton grown in SSA (USITC, 2009). Moreover, Cao, Scudder and Dickson (2017) recommended leveraging economic factors to create a more sustainable cotton supply chain in South Africa. McRee and Cassill (2002) analyzed five SSA countries (South Africa, Mauritius, Kenya, Lesotho and Madagascar) and found that South Africa and Mauritius had the most potential for producing textiles and apparel competitively for the US market.…”

Fashion designers' attitude-behaviour inconsistencies towards a sustainable business model: a neutralisation theory perspective

“…The practise of sustainable fashion requires a paradigm shift from a linear business model to a sustainable business model which focuses on sustainable production, consumption and responsible disposal of end of life apparel (Cai and Choi, 2020). While sustainable fashion is a growing trend in developed economies, it remains a niche concept in emerging economies such as South Africa (Cao et al , 2017; May, 2019). This is despite the prevalence of massive pollution of Durban and Cape Town coastal areas from wastewater discharged from the textile industry (May, 2019).…”

“…Previous studies on sustainable behaviour (Gifford, 2011; Barbarossa and De Pelsmacker, 2016) suggest that psychological factors related to worldviews and conflicting value orientations have the potential to explain the complexities associated with performance of sustainable behaviours. A focus on this research strand is important in South Africa as the fashion industry continue to consume more water, discharge more greenhouse gases and discard more apparel waste in landfills (Cao et al , 2017; Sheldon et al , 2018). For instance, it remains unknown how fashion designers manage the possibility of cognitive conflict and dissonance associated with not behaving in an environmentally sustainable manner.…”