Successful KZN South Coast clothing manufacturer shows investment potential

The investment potential on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast is being uncovered, with manufacturing identified as a key growth sector. Prominent South African babywear manufacturer Shiva Clothing exemplifies the opportunities for success in the region.

Established in 1992 in a garage by husband-and-wife team Dolly and Siva Naidu, the small cut, trim and manufacture (CTM) facility produced school skirts for a local retailer using just three machines. Two years later, the business moved to the heart of Port Shepstone, growing from three to 30 employees and supplying garments to Durban fashion houses.

By 2000, with 20 more employees, the company moved to Marburg to meet the growing CTM demands. Industry challenges saw them fine-tuning the quality of goods and mass production of goods. In 2020, son Preggy Naidu took the reins, bringing fresh motivation and evolving into a direct supplier with a specialised product range.

Shiva Clothing now specialises in underwear and babywear, employing 450 people, including 80 local workers, and is a key supplier to major retailers across South Africa, among them Woolworths, Jet, Pick n Pay and Ackermans.

Commenting on the success of manufacturing on the KZN South Coast, Preggy Naidu says there were key benefits to the area: “This is a non-metro area, which keeps manufacturing costs down, and there is a large pool of employable labour on the KZN South Coast. We have big plans for the company’s future, having just completed our latest expansion which includes a new company, Kelmik SA, forming part of the Shiva Group. Owned and run by Bash Naidu, this BEE initiative brought a significant amount of babywear back to South Africa in collaboration with PEP, creating another 150 jobs.”

Deborah Ludick, acting CEO of the South Coast Tourism & Investment Enterprise, says Shiva Clothing is a shining example of the manufacturing potential on the KZN South Coast. “The manufacturing sector in KwaZulu-Natal is the second largest in the country, with a third of manufactured exports produced in the province. The KZN South Coast is perfectly primed to support manufacturing, particularly the textiles and clothing sector. The affordable sites, available labour and key positioning of the KZN South Coast make this an ideal site, with the Eastern Seaboard Development and the African Continental Free Trade Area opening up new markets.”