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Thetsane Industrial Area

Maseru, Lesotho

Just south of Maseru is the village of Thetsane, where a cluster of factories produce clothing like jeans and tee-shirts for American chain stores. While downtown Maseru has a slow, easy-going pace, Thetsane’s industrial atmosphere creates a chaotic hustle and bustle.

The Thetsane area is where most of Basotho Political Leaders stay- for example we have Ntate Moeketsi Majoro who is Basotho ex prime minister. The Thetsane industrial area is therefore found in the far south of Maseru City.

The factories found in this place are mostly owned by people who come from Chine and in Lesotho these people are referred to as the Chinese. Almost 74% of Basotho people work in the factories and use the income they make to sustain their families. The income the employees get is roughly LSL 2500.00 maximum and minimum is roughly LSL 1000.00

The Industrial Area therefore is a must visit for tourists who are more concerned of the people well-being and their working conditions and how unemployment in the formal sectors in Lesotho lead the most educated youth end up working in the factories for their survival. Most of the clothes produced in the factories are not sold in Lesotho but to overseas countries.On a number of occasions it has been suggested that Lesotho is the ‘denim capital of Africa’. Indeed, the clothing and textile sector has always been the best performer in Lesotho’s industrial portfolio. In large part this is due to the fact that this industry is relatively easy to set up, very labour intensive and the unskilled can easily be trained within a short space of time. Moreover, the industry has proven to have good export potential and through expanding export growth, can create more employment opportunities at a lower cost than many other manufacturing industries. Not surprisingly then, the textile and clothing trade is of major importance to developing countries, not least the poorest among them, such as Lesotho.

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