Six years ago when SanMar began sourcing from Tanzania we committed to responsible apparel manufacturing in Africa. At the time, we were pioneers in sourcing there and didn’t know the impact the apparel industry would make on the continent. From empowering women with the independence to earn their own income to spurring development in local communities, these jobs have changed lives.

SanMar chooses to work with sourcing partners committed to our same values. Our goal in Africa and in all our sourcing facilities around the world is to ensure that the people creating our products have a steady income, work in a safe environment and enjoy benefits like medical care and free meals.

We’ve seen a dramatic impact in each of the communities where our sourcing partners have opened factories. New jobs mean a steady income. A steady income leads to more money to spend in the community. More money to spend in the community spurs new stores, restaurants, hair salons and local development. In fact, there’s such a huge impact from one single job in Africa that we estimate it impacts seven or eight other people, including family members and local business owners.

In these formerly agricultural societies steady work was often scarce, paychecks weren’t reliable and women were often left without means to support themselves and their families. Now, women make up the vast majority of the workforce creating SanMar products in Africa, giving them a new sense of pride, independence and financial stability.

SanMar remains one of a handful of companies sourcing apparel in Africa. The continent is an important part of our future plans as we look for more opportunities to thoughtfully and strategically grow our sourcing footprint.