Cotton Traders started operations in 1989.  Our founding director - Alan Walkey - has 35 years experience in the down & feather processing industry and in the manufacture of bedding and linen products and is on the technical committee and supervisory board of the International Down & Feather Bureau (IDFB).

We opened factory in a small building in Upper Darling Street (Cape Town) with just over 30 people. Early on we established a reputation as manufacturers of superior bedding products: our natural fill duvets, pillows and linen were of a very high quality, and good value for money. With increasing demand we expanded rapidly.

Our  workforce doubled over the first two years and since then we've been continually expanding our operations. Three times we've had to move to larger factories and are now based in Brackenfell (just outside Cape Town) in a 4,500m² building with just over 200 employees in our company group. We do on-site processing of down & feathers (washing, sterilising, de-dusting and sorting) (making us unique in South Africa). We are the largest processor of down & feathers in Africa, currently processing over 600 metric tons a year and using over 1 million meters of fabric.

Throughout our company expansions the family-side of our business has also grown and Cotton Traders is now host to quite a few family trees, both in management and in production. We're very proud to say that our factory is run by the founding director and his family and that so many of our employees have family members working beside them.

It's also a matter of pride with us that, despite our growth and subsequent relocations, most of our original 30 staff have stayed with us and continue to produce the same high quality goods that originally established the business.