From initial brief to goods at your warehouse in Tanzania. Here's exactly how the process works, what we need from you at each stage, and what to expect on timeline and cost.
Ordering knitwear from a Turkish manufacturer for the first time involves a different process than buying off the rail at Kariakoo or placing a re-order with a trading house you already use. The process has more steps, a longer timeline, and requires more upfront communication — but it produces a genuinely custom garment, in your own label, at a quality level that off-the-shelf imports can't match. There is no Turkey–Tanzania free trade agreement, so duty on knitwear under the EAC Common External Tariff is the same whether you buy from us or from China — we don't compete on tariff. We compete on quality, on being a credible China-plus-one alternative, on WHOLEGARMENT and flat-knit capability, on English-language project management, and on a premium finish. Here's how the process works, step by step.
Share whatever you have: a tech pack, a reference image, a sketch, or a description of what you want to make. The more specific you can be on stitch structure, gauge, yarn type, colors, size range, and target quantity, the faster we can give you useful numbers. We don't require a finished tech pack to start — we can help develop the construction spec from a reference.
What we need at minimum: style category (pullover, cardigan, vest, etc.), target gauge range, yarn type (merino, cotton, cashmere blend, etc.), colorway count, size range, and approximate order quantity. Our minimum order is 250 pieces per colour/size. Send to info@kiwigiyim.com or via WhatsApp at info@kiwigiyim.com.
Response time: 1 business day with preliminary CMT range or follow-up questions.
We produce a proto sample at USD 80–180 including shipping to Tanzania. The sample is produced in the specified stitch structure and gauge, in your closest available yarn if the exact spec yarn isn't in stock. We ship via DHL or FedEx express to your address in Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, or wherever your office sits.
Sample review: evaluate fit, construction quality, stitch definition, and hand feel. If revisions are needed, we produce a revised sample at a reduced fee or incorporate changes into bulk if the revisions are minor. Most programs need one proto and one revision sample before bulk.
Payment: sample fee paid in full before production (T/T bank transfer or credit card via invoice link). Quoted in USD; you settle from your TZS account through your bank's foreign exchange.
Once the sample is approved, we issue a formal purchase order confirmation with: style details, yarn spec, colorways, quantities per size, unit CMT price, total amount, and production and delivery timeline. You confirm and pay a 30% deposit.
At this stage we also: confirm yarn availability and source your specified fiber if not already in stock; schedule the production slot (typically 2–4 weeks from deposit to production start); and confirm the export documentation you'll need on the Tanzanian side — certificate of origin, fiber-content declaration, and anything your clearing agent or the TBS pre-shipment regime requires.
Most programs run 45–60 days from production start to goods-ready. Complex constructions (intarsia, multi-stitch jacquard, WHOLEGARMENT) or larger quantities may add 1–2 weeks. We send a production update at the midpoint and a pre-shipment QC report when production is complete.
Pre-production sample: one unit produced at the start of bulk run for final construction confirmation. If you want this shipped to you for review before we run the full order, we can arrange that — it adds 7–10 days. Most clients with an approved proto skip this for faster delivery.
When production is complete, we send the final QC report with measurements and photo documentation. You pay the 70% balance, and we ship. Standard shipment is ocean LCL (less than container load) from Mersin port; transit to the port of Dar es Salaam runs 20–28 days. From there your clearing agent handles inland delivery to Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, or upcountry.
Documentation included: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and certificate of origin. Additional documentation (fiber content, care labels, TBS-required declarations) prepared per your Tanzanian import requirements so clearance through TRA and the TBS conformity regime is clean.
Incoterms: we typically quote FOB Mersin or CIF Dar es Salaam. DDP (delivered duty paid to your door) can be arranged for an additional fee via our freight forwarder and a local clearing agent.
| Stage | Duration | Your action |
|---|---|---|
| Brief → Proto start | 3–5 days | Send brief, confirm sample spec, pay sample fee |
| Proto production | 10–14 days | Wait |
| Proto review & revision | 5–14 days | Review, request revisions, approve |
| Order confirmation → production start | 14–28 days | Confirm PO, pay 30% deposit |
| Bulk production | 45–60 days | Review midpoint update, approve QC report |
| Balance payment → shipment | 3–5 days | Pay 70% balance |
| Ocean transit to Dar es Salaam | 20–28 days | Brief clearing agent, arrange TRA clearance & delivery |
| Total (first order) | ~17–21 weeks | Plan your collection calendar accordingly |
No. There is no free trade agreement between Turkey and Tanzania, so knitwear lands under the EAC Common External Tariff — typically 25% duty on apparel — plus 18% VAT, the same as goods from China. We are honest about this: we don't win on duty. We win on quality, on being a credible China-plus-one source that de-risks your supply chain, on WHOLEGARMENT and flat-knit capability you won't easily find elsewhere, and on English-language project management from brief to bill of lading.
Yes. We welcome buyer visits to our facility in Tekstilkent, Gaziantep. Many first-time buyers visit during proto development or before placing their first bulk order. We'll arrange transport from Gaziantep airport. Give us 2 weeks' notice to schedule around production.
We work with both. Private label brands (your branding, your design) make up the majority of our programs. We also produce for wholesale brands supplying retail accounts. We don't sell under our own brand — everything we produce carries your label. As a pure OEM/ODM partner, your designs and your label stay yours.
We supply the export-side paperwork — commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, and fiber-content and care-label declarations. On the Tanzanian side your clearing agent files with the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) for duty and VAT, and apparel falls under the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) conformity regime. Tell us your specific TBS or pre-shipment requirements in the brief and we prepare documentation to match so clearance at Dar es Salaam is clean.
Tanzania belongs to both the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). That gives a Tanzanian brand a base from which to serve two regional blocs — East and Southern Africa — and Dar es Salaam is a gateway port for landlocked neighbours too. We don't promise duty relief on those routes; what it means in practice is that building your knitwear program in Dar es Salaam positions you for regional reach, and we can size production and packaging to support multi-market distribution.
FOB Mersin is our standard. We can also arrange CIF to the port of Dar es Salaam, or DDP (landed and delivered) via our freight partner and a local clearing agent. FOB gives you control over freight and insurance; CIF and DDP are more hands-off for your team. We'll recommend based on your logistics setup.
Send your brief or tech pack. We'll reply within 1 business day with a preliminary CMT range and any questions about your construction. No commitment required at this stage. If you're still scoping a supplier, start with our OEM knitwear overview or the main Tanzania page.
Already know the product you want to build? Jump straight to a category: merino cardigans, cotton sweaters, mohair cardigans, turtleneck sweaters, or chunky knits. Every program runs through the same five steps above, in your own label, from our in-house flat-knit floor — 15 Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT machines and 7 Stoll machines in Gaziantep.
Order Process Guides
Step 1
What to check before you commit — capability, MOQ, samples and the questions that matter.
Read guide →Step 2
How a private-label program works end to end — your design, your label, our floor.
Read guide →Step 3
EAC CET, VAT and what actually lands on your cost sheet — honestly, no tariff myths.
Read guide →Step 4
The pre-shipment checks and TBS conformity needs Tanzanian importers should plan for.
Read guide →Planning
Backwards from your on-floor date: when to order yarn, approve samples and book freight.
Read guide →