At PepClo, change doesn’t always come with fanfare. Sometimes, it comes with silence. For over 55 years, PepClo has been a driving force in southern Africa’s apparel manufacturing, producing over 12 million garments annually for leading retailers such as PEP and Ackermans. As the largest clothing manufacturer under one roof in the region, PepClo thrives on scale. However, the quieter, more deliberate shifts in operations often unlock the most significant gains.

One such shift has been happening steadily, motor by motor, across the factory floor.

Energy efficiency in motion
Until recently, PepClo’s production lines ran largely on traditional three-phase clutch motors – powerful, reliable and long-standing industry workhorses. However, they also have a significant drawback: they run at full power continuously, regardless of whether the machine is stitching, repositioning or idle.

Given that needle time accounts for only one-third of an operator’s working day, energy is wasted while machines are idle. In an industry where sewing machines consume up to 70% of total energy, this inefficiency is neither sustainable nor cost-effective.

PepClo is shifting gears.
Over the past two years, the business has transitioned to servo motor-driven sewing machines with direct-drive systems that eliminate the need for belts, reduce energy loss and draw power only when the machine is actively in use. While older clutch motors consume maximum energy even when the motor is idle, servo motors use as little as 1 W in standby mode, resulting in a 65% – 70% reduction in overall energy consumption.

With 80% of over 1 000 machines already upgraded, PepClo is reducing electricity costs and lowering its environmental impact. Electric motor systems account for over 40% of global electricity consumption and contribute substantially to industrial CO₂ emissions, according to the International Energy Agency and OECD reports on energy efficiency in motor-driven systems. As PepClo reduces its energy demand on the factory floor, it contributes to a lower carbon footprint per garment produced.

A more intelligent approach to measurement
As part of its sustainability focus, PepClo is also embracing more meaningful ways to measure efficiency. Two key industry metrics help frame the impact of this shift:

• Specific Energy Consumption (SEC): The energy used per unit of production. With more servo motors on the floor, SEC is expected to drop significantly as output increases while energy use decreases.
• Standard Minute Value (SMV): A metric for productivity, measuring how much time is needed to complete a standard garment under normal conditions. With faster, more responsive machines, SMV scores improve, which means higher throughput and more effective operator time.
• Together, these indicators demonstrate how PepClo is enhancing its products and improving the efficiency and sustainability of its production.

The people benefit
Around 40 operators per production line work on the factory floor at any given time and for them, this shift is not just mechanical, it’s personal.

Servo motors have dramatically improved the operator experience. Without constant vibration or high-volume motor noise, workers now move in a calmer, quieter environment. Improved posture, smoother heel-toe motion and fewer physical strain points have reduced strain by the end of each shift. This is particularly important in a high-volume, repetitive work environment, where even minor improvements in motion can make a significant difference over time.

The new motors also offer precise speed control, giving operators greater accuracy and consistency in their work. When paired with synchroniser-enabled machines, features like auto-thread cutting, needle positioning and presser foot lifting relieve manual strain on operators and reduce the need for repetitive micro-movements, all of which enhance productivity and protect long-term physical health.

In an industry where people are often expected to adapt to the demands of machinery, PepClo’s approach reflects the opposite: technology is adapting to support people.

Speed, quality and labour efficiency
The performance gains are significant. Servo motor machines can run up to 4 700 stitches per minute, compared to the 2 700 of the older clutch systems. The result? Cleaner seams, more consistent garments and fewer defects boost output and reduce operating strain.

These machines also deliver measurable productivity benefits:

• Productivity up by 15% – 20%
• Zero need for motor maintenance or mechanical adjustments