Colonial threads to made in China: Togo and the restructuring of African print textiles value chains

Abstract

From the colonial era onwards, African print textiles (APT) trade was dominated by a North-South value chain (NSVC), involving production in the Netherlands for distribution and consumption in West Africa and with Togolese ‘Nana-Benz’ traders playing a key role. Yet the dynamics of APT trade have changed in the 21st century as APT manufacturing has shifted to China as part of a South-South value chain (SSVC). Drawing on primary fieldwork in Lomé, Togo, long a hub of APT distribution in West Africa, we analyse the emergence of the SSVC and its characteristics – including the involvement of a newer group of Togolese traders known as Nanettes in a more flexible, trader-driven trade. We argue that the rise of the SSVC has disrupted the monopoly of the lead firm-governed NSVC, which has not been completely replaced, but forced to adapt. The case contributes to emerging discussions of SSVCs, which are mostly focused on opportunities for producers serving new forms of consumption, by showing how SSVCs challenge NSVCs within long-standing Southern end markets and by demonstrating the crucial and changing roles of traders in this context.