"French retailer Kiabi taps Benin for textile production in Africa expansion", 16 July 2024

The Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) in Benin has exported its first batch of "Made in Benin" garments to Europe for...Kiabi, signalling the country’s emergence as a competitive player in the global textile market.

The inaugural shipment, consisting of 80,000 children’s leggings has been created for the French fashion retailer Kiabi...

This order marks the beginning of a successful collaboration between SIPI-Bénin and Kiabi, with an order alignment of 2m clothing pieces for 2024 and 4m for 2025.

This collaboration comes after two years of discussions and negotiations, highlighting the growing confidence in Benin’s manufacturing capabilities and meeting international market requirements.

Létondji Beheton, managing director of SIPI-Bénin S.A commented:...

“Currently, KIABI is increasingly focusing on collaboration with Africa for its garment production and plans to expand its retail presence on the continent. With its dynamism and quality workforce, Benin is ideally positioned to seize the new market opportunities offered by Kiabi.”

Kiabi sourcing CEO, Penagos Juan, praised the collaboration and added: ” This initiative perfectly aligns with KIABI’s strategy of bringing our production sites closer to our points of sale. In Africa, we have several stores, and now, thanks to the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ), we are producing KIABI garments locally.”