According to a report by Lesotho’s local media “Public Eye” on September 3, the northern city of Butabuti, 160 kilometers away from the capital Maseru, will focus on becoming the next step in the textile and clothing industry. An investment center.
Due to poor planning, Thetsane and Tikoe Industrial Zones in Maseru are facing development difficulties. The overly dense design leaves companies with no more space for road construction, Waterway installation, factory expansion, and production capacity expansion are hindered.
Lesotho Prime Minister Majorro said when attending the launch ceremony of the Belo Industrial Zone Electrification Project last Friday that investment in the textile industry will be transferred to Buta Buti. He pointed out that investors are interested in this area because it is more in line with their business needs and is very close to Durban, South Africa, making cargo transportation particularly convenient.
The first phase of the HaBelo Industrial Zone project plans to deliver 16 factories, employing more than 14,500 employees, and will subsequently build 51 factories, creating approximately 41,000 jobs. The project is managed by the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC), with Unik Construction Company as the main construction unit, and is expected to be officially completed in October this year. Maggioro urged local leaders to ensure reasonable land planning to reserve space for the construction of more factories, health centers, schools and other projects around the industrial zone in the future.
Most of Lesotho’s manufacturing employment and exports come from the garment manufacturing industry. However, affected by the falling costs of other exporters, Lesotho’s exports to the US market continue to shrink, and the development of the garment manufacturing industry is facing tremendous pressure.
