Afritex Ltd (AL) is an integrated textile mill with spinning, weaving, knitting, processing and printing facilities. The mill has a capacity to produce 1,800 mtons of carded cotton yarns and 18 million meters of dyed and printed fabrics annually.

The mill, which was originally started in mid 1980’s had gone into liquidation with its previous owners, and was acquired by METL in 2000. A major rehabilitation and modernisation exercise was carried out to improve the quality of textiles produced and new equipment was installed to increase the processing and printing capacities. With an improved manufacturing facility combined with focus on new creative designs for printing and economical procurement of raw materials, the company was turned around from a seriously ailing and loss making business into a highly profitable one.

Today, AL is a household name in Tanzania, well known for its khangas and kitenges, the traditional dress of Tanzanian women. The cotton carded yarns and grey fabrics are in high demand by markets in Europe, South Africa and the Asian countries, and a fully fledged garments division is currently under development to produce clothing for export to USA under the African Growth and Opportunity Act 2000 (AGOA).