A NEW CHAPTER TO WRITE WITH YOU
We are happy to announce a decisive step in the history of PANAFRICA: the opening of our first factory and training center in Ivory Coast , planned for the end of 2025. This ambitious project marks an essential turning point towards local, ethical and sustainable production, driven by our desire to promote African know-how and significantly reduce our ecological impact.
Our vision is clear: every pair of PANAFRICA sneakers will be designed and manufactured entirely in sub-Saharan Africa by local communities. This factory project represents much more than just a production site. It's a space dedicated to innovation, learning, and local economic development.
Why is this factory so important?
- By establishing our factory in Ivory Coast, we are promoting the creation of stable, sustainable and qualified jobs for local communities.
- Our training center will enable young people and adults to acquire specialized skills in shoe production, thus ensuring their long-term employability.
- By producing locally, we limit supply distances, reduce carbon emissions and support a sustainable economic model.
How can you participate in this adventure?
You can make a concrete contribution to this project by making a voluntary contribution when you shop on our website. Every euro collected will go directly toward funding the factory and training center.
Together, let's build the future of PANAFRICA in Côte d'Ivoire
By creating this factory, we will:
✓ Support the creation of sustainable jobs, by providing local communities with real opportunities for stable and well-paid work.
✓ Promote the transfer of skills by training a new generation of fashion professionals directly on site. This training center will be open to those who wish to improve their skills in technical professions (cutting, sewing, assembly) but also in creative professions (design, textile innovation).
✓ Reduce our ecological footprint by centralizing all of our production in West Africa, the main region for our purchases of raw materials (cotton, wax fabrics, batik, etc.).
✓ Strengthen our independence and improve the quality of our products , by controlling the entire production chain, from design to manufacturing.
THE PROJECT IN FIGURES
1,000,000€
Investment to finance the project
50
Job creation in the first 2 years
10,000
pairs produced in the first year
TRAINING TO BUILD THE FUTURE
At the heart of our factory project is a conviction: to transform things sustainably, we must pass on our knowledge. This is why we are creating, alongside our production site, an integrated training center dedicated to the shoe industry. Assembly, cutting, stitching, design... we will support young people and women towards concrete, recognized and rewarding skills.
In a context where access to employment remains a challenge for many, this center aims to become a professional springboard , with free, qualifying training courses geared towards autonomy. Our ambition? To train a new generation of African talents in a dignified, structuring, and sustainable environment.
Concretely:
➔ The training will last several months , with step-by-step educational support.
➔ People in training will receive remuneration to facilitate access to practical and theoretical courses without penalizing them financially
➔ They will be provided by highly qualified trainers from the footwear industry.
➔ Ongoing training will be offered to each employee to promote internal development.
➔ The objective: sustainable, qualified and rewarding jobs , supported by local expertise.
WHY DO WE NEED YOU SO MUCH?
The budget needed to bring this project to fruition is estimated at €1 million . We have already committed private funding, but to see it through, we also need your help.
Since day one, PANAFRICA has been built with you. You were there for our first collections, our crowdfunding campaigns, our craziest projects. And today, we're writing a new page together : that of a structuring, local, sustainable project that goes beyond just manufacturing sneakers.
Because this factory and training center project is:
This isn't our project. It's yours too. What if, together, we saw it through?
We believe that small gestures make big projects.
By adding a contribution of 2, 5, or 10% to your purchase, you are directly contributing to the opening of this factory, the employment of dozens of people, and the training of dozens more. This project is a rare opportunity to be part of a movement that goes beyond mere consumption. You're not just supporting a brand; you're supporting a vision. A vision where fashion becomes a vehicle for social transformation in Africa.
It's about committing together to a project with concrete benefits. You're helping to offer a better future to men and women who share our values of respect, authenticity, and solidarity. You're participating in the transformation of a sector that can and must be fairer. Thanks to you, we're going to create a virtuous model, whose positive impact will extend far beyond our sneakers.
We are convinced that together we can rise to this challenge and make a real difference. Every euro counts, every support is a step towards a sustainable future. Thank you for your commitment to us.
Every gesture counts to build a virtuous model where fashion becomes a
engine of social transformation. Thank you for your commitment to us!
Provisional calendar
April-July 2025
From April to July 2025, we will be looking for premises in Abidjan (Ivory Coast), ideally located in an industrial zone, with infrastructure to accommodate our various machines and ensure efficient logistics. This premises will be fully equipped to accommodate the training center, the production plant including cutting, stitching and assembly, as well as the Panafrica offices.
July-August 2025
We will purchase and deliver the machinery and tools required for production. This will include specific equipment tailored to our needs and its installation in compliance with current standards.
September-December 2025
We will launch the first hiring process with around twenty new recruits, and begin technical and theoretical training over three months. A second recruitment period (in phase 2) will allow us to train around thirty additional people, creating a qualified team ready to embody Panafrica's values.
Early 2026
We will begin production of the first pairs of Panafrica 'Made in Côte d'Ivoire' with our Sahara model. The initial production rate will be limited to allow for gradual learning and ensure smooth skill development for our teams. The goal is to gradually increase production volume to reach an optimal capacity of 10,000 pairs produced per year.
