Lesotho: Stitching Lesotho into the Global Economy

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Bird Story Agency report by Lerato Matheka dated 23 July 2026, describes how Lesotho built one of Africa’s leading garment-export sectors through preferential trade access, close coordination between government and industry, and a workforce heavily made up of women. The report centers on weekly 7 a.m. meetings at the Ministry of Trade and Industries, where officials, utilities, immigration officers, banks, factory owners and unions worked through obstacles facing manufacturers.

Former trade minister Mpho Malie told the publisher that the African Growth and Opportunity Act opened the U.S. market, but Lesotho’s response was to create a practical system for investors. Around the turn of the millennium, the country was constrained by its small market and reliance on farming, remittances and public employment. The apparel workforce later rose from about 17,000 to roughly 54,000, according to Malie, with Taiwanese investors among those expanding operations.

The story highlights women workers including Tokelo Thabane, Marethabile Qhooa and Somafi Nyofane, who describe factory jobs as modestly paid but important for supporting families and gaining skills. Research cited in the article says textiles contributed 19.2% of GDP by 2020 and, in stronger years, about 60% of exports. Manufacturing remains Lesotho’s largest formal employer.

The sector now faces pressure from factory closures, weaker demand, pandemic aftershocks, shipping costs, tariff uncertainty and short-term AGOA renewals. The Lesotho National Development Corporation says employment in assisted manufacturing companies fell from 51,325 in 2020 to 34,151 in 2024. Its officials argue the next task is to deepen local capabilities, diversify exports and move Lesotho further up regional and global value chains.