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Lesotho Trade and Investment Forum

Sector

Textiles and apparel

Lesotho has produced knitted garments for export for about 30 years, and the sector employed an estimated 31,000 to 34,000 people in 2024, most of them women, with exports of about US$300 million divided roughly equally between South Africa and the United States. On 7 October 2026 government, industry and partners validated a Lesotho Textiles and Apparel Sector Strategy, which sets targets for 2033 of more than 70,000 jobs, annual exports above US$1 billion and more than US$400 million of new investment. LNDC states that manufacturers pay corporate income tax at 10 per cent and can claim a 125 per cent deduction for training Lesotho citizens.

Sources: LNDC, Textiles and Garments (opens in a new tab)LNDC, Partnering for a stronger textiles and apparel industry (opens in a new tab)LNDC, Manufacturing (opens in a new tab)World Bank, The World Bank in Lesotho: Overview (opens in a new tab)

Lead agency
Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC)Investment promotion and support

Opportunities

The lead agency

LNDC

Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC)

The Lesotho National Development Corporation, established under the LNDC Act of 1967, is the Government's agency for investment promotion and industrial development, with a vision to facilitate Lesotho's economic growth through private sector development. It promotes agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, renewable energy, technology and innovation, mining and tourism. Investors can obtain investment facilitation and aftercare, appraisal of projects through a Project Preparation Facility, factory shells and serviced industrial and commercial property in Maseru and other districts, and commercial and development finance. LNDC is implementing its Letsema Strategy 2026 to 2031, which aims to facilitate 50,000 new jobs and establish five new industrial sectors. Business registration, licences and work and residence permits are handled through the Government's One-Stop Business Facilitation Centre.

What investors can get

  • Investment facilitation and aftercare
  • Project packaging and appraisal (Project Preparation Facility)
  • Factory shells, industrial estates and commercial property
  • Commercial and development finance
  • Support with permits, site selection and access to finance

Sources: LNDC, Who we are (opens in a new tab)LNDC, Investment Support (opens in a new tab)LNDC, Property (opens in a new tab)LNDC, Financing (opens in a new tab)LNDC, Doing business in Lesotho (opens in a new tab)LNDC, LNDC launches transformative Letsema Strategy (opens in a new tab)FAOLEX, LNDC Strategic Plan (opens in a new tab)

The High Commission

Register interest

Tell the High Commission about your interest in textiles and apparel and it will be in touch. You will receive an acknowledgement by email.

Sectors you are interested in

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For example the kind of project, its scale or your timetable.

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