How did the embroidery/lace business between Austria and Africa start? What is the current situation? How can the future look like?

1. International Marketing
„African Embroideries“ produced
in Austria
Silke Jurkowitsch, Ph.D.

2. Personal Background
Education:
- Master: Project and process management, University of Applied
Sciences Vorarlberg
- PhD: Marketing at the Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
Main focuses & interests:
- Creativity, Trends & Innovation  New Business Development
- Project & Process Management
- Marketing
- Lobbying & Networking
- Extras:
- Luxury products in the fields of Fashion, Interior Design, Architecture, Art
- Crystal and Gem components (Chatons, Hotfix, etc.)
- Development of various international Innovation and Creativity projects for
Industry goods and consumer goods (Asia, Africa, America, Eastern Europe,
Near Middle East)
- Valuable contacts (Africa, Near Middle East, Asia, Europe)
© Silke Jurkowitsch 2

3. For African embroideries produced in Austria
3

4. Embroidery = Decoration
1. Fabric
2. Decoration of fabrics with
 Yarn & Lurex  Embroidery
 Components (pearls, Kauri shells, crystals, …)
 Colors
 Motives, Symbols, Metaphor, Brand logo
4© Silke Jurkowitsch
Design
Home textiles Lingerie
Clothing

5. 5

6. Looking into Africa
6© Silke Jurkowitsch

7. Africa´s Basics
 Family & Society is the focus
 Time – Improvisation - Creativity
 “God/Gods is/are leading our life” –
Voodoo/Islam/Christianity
 Body decoration = personalized style  Social status,
prestige
 Jewelry
 Hair
 Tattoos
 Henna
 Textiles
© Silke Jurkowitsch 7

8. Body decoration
8© Silke Jurkowitsch

9. Religion
9© Silke Jurkowitsch

10. Voodoo market
10© Silke Jurkowitsch

11. Beginning of exporting to
Africa
 In the 50s/60s Sudan consumers
bought Sudanvoile from Austrian
embroidery companies, Sudanese had
customers in Nigeria
 Mid 60er Kurt Nachbaur & Oswald
Brunner acting in Ghana & Senegal 
Embroidery contacts in Lagos (Nigeria)
New market by chance!
© Silke Jurkowitsch 11

12. © Silke Jurkowitsch 12
Exporter
Design
Embroidery
Production
Finance &
Administration
Sales
(Marketing)
Design
Embroidery
Production
Typical company:
 1-30 employees
 Family-oriented - introverted
 Inheritance generation
(young – old)
 Small scale
 Small budgets
 Little internationalization

13. Embroidery Industry
Development in Vorarlberg
© Silke Jurkowitsch 13
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2008
Machines
Companies
Employees
2008:
289 machines
146 companies
798 employees

14. Export volumes per region
© Silke Jurkowitsch 14
1995 2000 2007
Australia/Oceania
Asia
America
Near Middle East
Africa
Europe

15. 37.116
45.399
9.744
28.610
47.586
7.300
Europe Africa Rest
2007 in 1.000 € 2008 in 1.000 €
Embroidery Exports
© Silke Jurkowitsch 15
>60% Africa

16. Production
© Silke Jurkowitsch 16

17. 17

18. Embroideries
Customers
Junctions
© Silke Jurkowitsch 18
Dubai
London
Vorarlberg
Bird´s eye view

19. African customers
© Silke Jurkowitsch 19

20. African embroideries
© Silke Jurkowitsch 20

21. © Silke Jurkowitsch 21

22. Point of Sales
© Silke Jurkowitsch 22

23. Tailors
23© Silke Jurkowitsch

24. Wearing occasions
© Silke Jurkowitsch 24

25. For African embroideries produced in Austria
25

26. Austria
 Visa – entry requirements (Schengen)
 Import regulations (WTO)
 Structure problem of the embroidery branch
 Follow-up problem – Youth is not interested in
taking over the own companies
 Company positioning open
 Cooperation between embroidery companies
needed to survive
 Production from Austrian embroidery producers
outsourced to Asia
© Silke Jurkowitsch 26

27. Clash: dressed African market
vs. undressed Western market
© Silke Jurkowitsch 27

28. To do modules
Positioning
Brand
Organisation Lobbying
Safe industry's
competitiveness
Communication Marketing Distribution
Market protection New markets Investments
Design Product development
© Silke Jurkowitsch 28

29. 29
Organisation
1 company 1 project
3 companies 1 project6 companies 3 projects
? ?
1-xy companies 1-xy projects
Industry solution
© Silke Jurkowitsch

30. New markets
 South Africa (Namibia,
Angola, etc.)
 East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya,
Mauritius, etc.)
 West Africa (Senegal,
Cameroon, etc.)
 Emirates
 New customers
 New distribution channel/s
 New designs/products
© Silke Jurkowitsch 30

31. Africa & consumers
Africa
 Political instable situation
 Corruption
 $ exchange rate risk
 Brands vs. No-names
 Original vs. Copy
 Communication (Internet, Handy, etc.)
Consumer
 2 types of customers: „old“ and „new“
 Consumer becomes more demanding (service, communication,
etc.)
 World crises affects the money of the actual consumers 
market is moving, new people get into the elite class
 Embroidery can get the cloth of the poorest
© Silke Jurkowitsch 31

32. 32© Silke Jurkowitsch

33. Product & Distribution
Production
 Differences in the quality disappear
 Cheap Asian imports
 Second hand cloth is pouring in
 Innovation needed
Distribution
 Trend towards Brands  Market vs. Shops/shopping
malls
 Opening of own shops/flagship stores (guarantee of
quality, protection against forgery)
 Africa is recognized as market  more competition
© Silke Jurkowitsch 33

34. Original vs. copy
34© Silke Jurkowitsch

35. Second hand
35© Silke Jurkowitsch

36. Market
36© Silke Jurkowitsch

37. Shop
37© Silke Jurkowitsch

38. Inside a Shop
38© Silke Jurkowitsch

39. 39
Marketing
 Global competition in the luxury market
 More and more competitors and productions in the Asian
region are prospering
 Marketing across cultures  Intercultural aspects
 Market entries into new regions
 Customer relationship management  Sales people get a
more important role
 Communication & Social Media activities
© Silke Jurkowitsch

41. 41© Silke Jurkowitsch

42. 42© Silke Jurkowitsch

43. 43© Silke Jurkowitsch

44. 44
Silke Jurkowitsch, PhD
silke@jurkowitsch.cc
www.jurkowitsch.cc