FashionPress
JANIYA shows Kigali the clothing it makes
Reported by IGIHE ·
Founded in 2019 in Muhanga District, JANIYA Investment Ltd set out to raise both the amount and the quality of clothing made in Rwanda, in step with the Made in Rwanda policy.
JANIYA makes clothing of many kinds for women, men and children, from everyday wear and menswear to sportswear, along with household textiles such as bedsheets and towels.
The factory was founded under the government's Made in Rwanda programme, which promotes goods produced at home. Its designs draw on what Rwandans like and on the country's culture and history.
Nearly five years after it began making clothing, the factory has contributed to the country's development and now employs more than 300 permanent staff.
Its people turn out about 2,000 garments a day, sold through its own shop in Kigali and another in Musanze.
To keep giving back, JANIYA has opened an online platform that lets clothing sellers trade digitally. Sellers get a space to list garments and are paid once buyers pay, and people with no capital to buy stock can still sell its clothing.
On Friday, 10 November 2023, JANIYA held a fashion evening to show the range it produces and to explain how people without starting capital, young people especially, can use the platform to trade its clothing.
Speaking to IGIHE, the company's leadership explained why the clothes appeal to Rwandans:
“Our clothing has something special that has made people love it. First, the price is low. Second, it is made by Rwandans, guided by what Rwandans like, and designed around what they want to wear.”
They added that a garment made abroad is designed for the tastes of that country's buyers, while JANIYA, being close to its customers, knows what they like.
Much of the company's effort now goes into the online selling platform, built to give young people a source of income:
“We can now produce 2,000 garments a day, and selling them takes a great deal of effort. We can't do it alone. We need people to help us, and they find work in it too.”
The idea came from seeing young people on social media who complain of having no work, yet have nothing to sell and no capital for clothing to trade.
“We asked how those young people could find work. They can join the platform and sell from there.”
The evening also saw JANIYA name a KC2 journalist as its brand ambassador.
Photos · 5
Illustrative runway and designer photography from Unsplash, not from the event. The event photos belong to IGIHE.
