Modest sportswear: ‘The length of a sleeve is everything in this business’
There is a difference between “Islamic” sportswear and “modest” sportswear, says Managing Director Fatima Fakier of Botswana-based Friniggi. Where other companies target as broad a market as possible, for Friniggi, marketing it as Islamic sportswear gives a clear indication of what is on offer.
Salaam Gateway: Botswana has a very small Muslim community but Africa as a whole is home to a substantial Muslim population. How big is Friniggi’s market reach?
Fatima Fakier: African Muslim practices do not prioritise exercise and sports for girls. Financial and other uniquely African constraints put the need for Muslim sportswear at the bottom of the list. Typically, African consumers do not shop online much, though there is an upward trend. The few who desire Muslim sportswear actively seek us out. We have shipped to African countries as far as Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo.
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