Tribal Textiles

Tribal Textiles is based in the rural countryside on the edge of the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. Established in 1991, Tribal Textiles has a team of over 150 staff.

Originality is the focus and true beauty of their products. They do not mass-produce and in fact, believe the strength of their product lies in its hand-made process. The objective of this thriving company is to promote fair trade practices, generate local employment and develop creative skills.
Tribal Textiles actively supports and fund-raises for the local community school, Malimba, educating over 160 children.

Tribal Textiles Design Process

• The process begins with the cutting, sewing and fraying of 100% Zambian cotton fabric.
• Individual designs are produced with starch solution and sun-dried.
• All designs are hand-painted, utilizing Tribal Textile’s many colorways.
• The cooking process, in an industrial oven, makes the textiles color fast and fully washable.
• Following cooking, each piece is washed and dried in the sunshine.
• The starch designs are carefully removed to reveal the colorful designs.
• The final process includes sewing and pressing, in preparation for packing.