South Africa’s textile imports fall in Q1 but rise in March

South Africa’s textile imports fell 6.8 per cent YoY to 15.6 billion rand in Q1 2026, while exports remained stable.
However, imports rebounded 14.1 per cent in March on a monthly basis.
The country continues to rely on Asian suppliers due to structural challenges, while exports are constrained by high costs and limited value addition capacity.