Simba Apparel EPZ has opened its new modern 26,220 square feet ‘green’ production facility in Mombasa.
The expansion includes installation of modern production equipment and solar panels in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Kenya/East Africa Mission.
The facility was commissioned by H.E. Ambassador Meg Whitman, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya and Hon. Abdullswamad S. Nassi, Governor of Mombasa County. Following the expansion, the new facility increases Simba Apparel’s production to 800,000 units per month up from 500,000 units in 2022.
Simba Apparel was established in 1992, becoming the first factory to commence operations in Mombasa’s Export Processing Zone (EPZ), with less than 1,000 workers. The factory was also the first private apparel manufacturer in the County during the Pre-Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) era. This was in response to the Kenya Government’s new EPZ Program in 1990 whose objective was to promote exports, boost foreign exchange earnings, encourage the transfer of technology and skills, employment creation, and enhancement of industrialization. The company specializes in the manufacture of men’s and women’s fashion wear, casual wear, work wear, hospital wear, and hospitality wear.
In 2022, Simba Apparel’s export-oriented model employed up to 3,000 workers on a single work shift system with a monthly throughput averaging around 500,000 units of garments. The company’s annual average exports were valued at USD 28.8 million worth of international ready-made garments exclusively to the USA, utilizing AGOA. In 2023, responding to Prosper Africa’s goal of increasing two-way trade between Africa and the U.S., USAID Kenya/East Africa partnered with Simba Apparel to increase the company’s production capacity, geared towards increasing exports to the U.S. and boosting the company’s annual revenue by 25%.
With their new production facility christened ‘the green building’ due to energy conservation measures put in place and new state-of-the-art equipment, Simba Apparel’s output has skyrocketed. Currently, Simba Apparel produces 800,000 units per month with its annual exports to the U.S. almost doubling since its partnership with USAID.
“We started running a night shift and added four new production lines to cater to the current high demand from our buyers. We have had to establish a satellite factory in Nairobi with eight production lines that are exclusively creating garments for Simba Apparel and employing 700 people,” says Simba Apparel EPZ Director Janardanan Myliyat.
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