Manufacturers Build the Product. Brands Capture the Margin.

Garment manufacturers are being squeezed from every direction. Retail prices are rising, but factory margins remain thin. At the same time, brands demand faster lead times, higher quality, sustainability compliance, and now automation readiness.

In this episode, Razvan Ionele explains why factories must invest in robotics and IoT even when margins are tight — and why the real imbalance in the industry is the gap between what manufacturers are paid and what brands charge at retail. We also discuss Africa’s manufacturing potential, AI in quality control, and why textile production is 20–25 years behind automotive automation.