From initial brief to goods at your Kampala warehouse. Here's exactly how the process works, what we need from you at each stage, and what to expect on timeline and landed cost.
Ordering knitwear from a Turkish manufacturer for the first time involves a different process than buying from a local trader or importing finished stock through a wholesaler you already use. The process has more steps, a longer timeline, and requires more upfront communication — but it produces a genuinely custom garment at a quality level that off-the-shelf imports rarely match. Uganda is landlocked, so the inland leg matters: your goods clear and rail or truck up from a coastal transit port rather than arriving at your own seaport. We plan for that from day one. Here's how it works with us, 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. Everything we make carries your label; we are a pure OEM workshop and never sell under our own brand.
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 MOQ 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 correspond entirely in English, which keeps specs precise and avoids translation gaps.
We produce a proto sample at $80–180 including express courier to Kampala. 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 Uganda address — air courier bypasses the long sea-and-road inland leg, so you hold the physical sample in about a week.
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). Sample fees are typically invoiced and settled in USD; we can advise on the UGX conversion your bank applies.
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 production slot (typically 2–4 weeks from deposit to production start); confirm export and import documentation requirements, including the certificate of origin and the HS-code classification UNBS and URA will need at clearance.
Most programs run 45–60 days from production start to goods-ready. We knit in-house on 15 Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT machines and 7 Stoll flat-knitting machines, so complex constructions (intarsia, multi-stitch jacquard, seamless WHOLEGARMENT) stay under one roof. Larger quantities or complex builds 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 couriered 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. Because Uganda is landlocked, goods route through a coastal transit port — Mombasa on the Northern Corridor or Dar es Salaam on the Central Corridor — and then move inland by road to Kampala. Under the EAC Single Customs Territory (SCT), clearance is processed at the first point of entry, which reduces duplicate checks along the route.
Documentation included: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and certificate of origin. Fiber-content and care-label documentation is prepared to UNBS standards so your URA clearance and any UNBS conformity checks go smoothly.
Incoterms: we typically quote FOB Mersin or CIF to your chosen transit port (Mombasa or Dar es Salaam). The inland haul to Kampala and clearance are usually arranged by your Ugandan clearing agent; we can also quote DDP delivered to Kampala through our freight partner for an additional fee.
| 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 |
| Sea + inland transit to Kampala | ~3–4 weeks | Brief clearing agent for transit port & SCT clearance |
| Total (first order) | ~17–22 weeks | Plan your collection calendar accordingly |
No — and we'll be straight about it. There is no free-trade agreement between Turkey and Uganda, so knitwear from Turkey enters under the standard EAC Common External Tariff for textiles (commonly 25%) plus 18% VAT, the same import-duty footing as Chinese goods. Our case isn't cheaper duty; it's quality, in-house flat-knit and WHOLEGARMENT capability, English-language communication, and a reliable China-plus-one alternative. If the conversation is purely about the lowest unit price, we are usually not the right factory.
Uganda has no seaport of its own, so goods move through a coastal transit port. From Mersin we ship by sea to Mombasa (then up the Northern Corridor) or to Dar es Salaam (then up the Central Corridor), and the cargo is hauled by road to Kampala. Under the EAC Single Customs Territory, clearance is handled at the first point of entry, which cuts repeat inspections along the route. Plan for roughly 3–4 weeks of combined sea and inland transit, and budget for the inland haulage as a separate cost line from the ocean freight.
We work with both. Private label brands (your branding, your design) make up the majority of our programs. We also produce for wholesale buyers and retailers who supply their own accounts in Kampala and beyond. We don't sell under our own brand — everything we produce carries your label.
We'll revise it. If a sample has a construction or quality issue that's our fault, we reproduce it at no additional charge. If the revision is a design change from your side, there's a reduced sample fee. We don't consider a program approved until you're satisfied with the sample quality.
We provide the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and certificate of origin, plus fiber-content and care-label documentation prepared to UNBS standards. Your Ugandan clearing agent uses these for the URA customs declaration and any UNBS conformity checks at the point of entry. We'll align the HS-code classification with you in advance so there are no surprises at clearance.
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.
Explore Our Capabilities
OEM
Pure private-label production — your label, your design, knit in-house in Gaziantep.
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Fine-gauge merino cardigans, fully fashioned, sourced to your fiber spec.
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Breathable cotton and cotton-blend sweaters suited to warm climates and year-round wear.
Read more →Wholesale
Bulk knitwear programs for buyers and retailers supplying the Kampala market and beyond.
Read more →Pricing
How CMT pricing, yarn cost and MOQ shape your landed cost into Kampala.
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