The inaugural shipment, consisting of 80,000 children's leggings has been created for the French fashion retailer Kiabi, a well-known brand with nearly 563 retail outlets across France, Spain, Italy, Africa, the Middle East, and Overseas Departments and Regions (DROM).
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: “This first export of children's leggings to Kiabi is a source of immense pride for us and serves as tangible proof of our commitment to promoting the Beninese textile industry on the international stage.
“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.”
Juan also shared the company’s goal to produce thirty million pieces in Africa, and how Arise proves to be the ideal partner to achieve this objective by integrating sustainability and using 100% Made in Africa cotton.
Kiabi now joins global brands such as The Children’s Place (TCP) and US Polo Assn, with whom clothing delivery contracts have already been signed, thereby reinforcing GDIZ's position as a pivotal hub for textile production in Africa.
