Impact Report
Poverty Eradication
More than 300 dependants are supported through the program.
Every 2 years, we survey all beneficiaries of the cooperatives network through the Poverty Stoplight evaluation tool and implement adequate collective or more individual development programs.
Women Empowerment
50 women benefit from the work we do. Township started as a woman-led project, for the economic empowerment of women from the township communities of Cape Town. All women are employed in their own cooperatives which they are members of. The individual cooperatives own the assets (sewing machines & equipment) while the coop board (chairlady, secretary and treasurer) coordinates all operations in accordance to the SA Cooperative Act.
During the COVID-19 crisis, our main priority is to provide support and save the 50 jobs held by the women of Khayelitsha and Manenberg.
Decent Work Conditions
More than ZAR 20mi have been paid out to the cooperatives since 2006.
We focus on high labour content products. As a result, cooperatives income represent from 20, up to 30% of the total price of a product and personal income is at least 25% above minimum wage for textile sector.
Sustainable Communities
Over the years, the cooperatives have become economic role models in their respective communities which are stengthened by their continuous presence.
Township is one of the very few companies with a fully decentralised production model, based on the trust that townships-based production units can deliver high quality products with good productivity. As a result, all women employed work close to their homes instead of wasting time and spending 25% of their income in transportation costs.
Responsible Production
We source all our fabrics within Southern Africa, supporting the local SADC community and reducing the carbon footprint of our supply chain.
We only use eco-friendly fabrics: sustainable cotton from Zimbabwe or Madagascar and recycled PET produced in South Africa.