NAIROBI, KENYA — Manufacturers across the continent are accelerating African medical textile manufacturing by processing locally grown cotton into essential clinical supplies like medical gauze, bandages, and surgical drapes rather than exporting raw fiber overseas.
The strategic pivot aims to insulate national health systems from foreign exchange volatility and global supply chain disruptions. Africa’s overall textile market is projected to expand from $39.21 billion in 2025 to $49.41 billion by 2030, with the medical textiles segment growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.71 percent over the same period, according to industry figures cited by Bird Story Agency.
Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, emphasized the strategic necessity of domestic health security. “You cannot finance a healthcare system that you cannot supply,” Oluga stated, noting that local processing bridges critical supply gaps during global emergencies.
Emerging industry leaders driving African medical textile manufacturing include Nazmed Medical Textiles in Ethiopia, Mulungushi Textiles in Zambia, African Cotton Industries in Kenya, Da Gama Textiles and PrionTex in South Africa, and Zimbabwe Hosiery.
Government officials across participating nations have endorsed the industrial expansion. Everness Nankala, Principal Public Relations Officer at Zambia’s Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, described the sector’s revival as a testament to government commitments to industrial growth and job creation. Carrivorious Simasinti, founder of Zambia’s Premier Multipurpose Cooperative Society, confirmed that domestic demand for locally produced surgical consumables remains exceptionally high.
Why it matters: Producing gauze and bandages within the region shortens medical supply chains that stall whenever international shipping routes, currency exchange rates, or trade flows are disrupted.
Nigeria Medicine Security Warning: Pharma Experts… Pharmaceutical industry leaders in Nigeria have said the country is not yet serious about achieving medicine security, pointing to heavy import dependence, foreign exchange volatility, high operating costs, weak supply chain coordination and low patronage…
Breast Cancer Screening in Nigeria: Where to Go and Costs Breast cancer screening in Nigeria confuses people for a simple reason: nobody tells you which test you need. A woman of 32 asks for a mammogram and is told she does not need one. A…
Nigeria Reclaims Lead in Medical Tourism in Africa Lagos, Nigeria — Nigeria has reclaimed its position as Africa’s leading destination for medical tourism, according to new reports highlighting the country’s growing healthcare investments, world-class hospitals, and renewed government-private sector partnerships. This marks a…
Health sector underrepresented on Nigerian Stock Exchange Lagos, Nigeria – The Nigerian healthcare sector, a critical driver of national development, remains strikingly underrepresented on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NGX), despite increasing demand for medical services, rising health technology adoption, and the growing…
