In the past twenty years, almost half of South Africa’s garment workers have lost their jobs. Cheap (mainly Asian) imports were allowed into the country and undercut local products, forcing local producers to close shop. It is more difficult now than previously to find South African-made clothing. But it’s far from impossible.

In fact, I’d bet you that you can clothe yourself from head to toe in South African-made products, enter a ‘best dressed person in the room’ competition and have a good chance of (cat-)walking away with the prize!

I am no fashionista, neither in donning the latest trends nor in committing large sums of money to clothes’ shopping, but I get a good few compliments about my outfits both from friends and from complete strangers in the street. And it is invariably my ‘made in RSA’ outfits that draw looks and comments.