The garment we are known for
T-Shirts
The round neck tee is where Swahili Knits started and it is still the bulk of what leaves our floor. We knit, cut, sew, print and pack it in Dar es Salaam — which means one team is answerable for the fabric, the fit and the finish.
- Type
- Knitted
- Minimum order
- Depends on the route
- Lead time
- 2 – 3 days
- Colourways
- 14+ stock colours
Every tee is side-seamed with a taped shoulder-to-shoulder neck and twin-needle hems at the sleeve and body. It is a small amount of extra work per unit that stops a shirt going out of shape after a dozen washes, and it is the difference customers actually notice.
Choose the knitted fabric that matches the job. Bingwa Pamba is 100% cotton for brands selling the garment itself. Bingwa Sports and Champion are polyester for sport and campaign work. Airtouch is a cotton and polyester blend that stays cool. Bingwa Boxi is a waffle knit when the texture is the point.
Because cutting and decoration happen in the same building, a printed tee does not have to travel between suppliers. On a fabric and colour we already hold, that is how an order can leave in two to three days.
Specification
- Fabric
- Bingwa Pamba, Bingwa Sports, Champion, Airtouch, Bingwa Boxi
- Weight
- 160 – 220 GSM depending on fabric
- Neck
- Ribbed crew, shoulder-to-shoulder tape
- Construction
- Side-seamed, twin-needle sleeve and bottom hem
- Sizes
- XS – 5XL (kids sizes available)
- Fits
- Regular, slim, oversized / boxy
- Labelling
- Woven, printed or heat-transfer private label
Build your spec
Pick colourways and sizes — we'll carry it into your quote.
Colourways
1 of 14 selected
White
Size breakdown
Steppers move in sixes — garments are packed and priced by the dozen.
White
Illustration, not a photograph
Ordering routes
- Stock fabric, stock colour2 – 3 days
- Custom design on stock fabric7 – 10 days
- Custom fabric or colourQuoted per job
- SublimationQuoted per job
Add quantities and we will show you which routes are open.
Nothing is ordered yet. How ordering works
Custom colours dyed to your Pantone reference at production quantities. Colour is confirmed at sampling stage.
How to order t-shirts.
The minimum and the lead time both depend on the route. Pick the row that matches your brief.
Stock fabric, stock colour
- Minimum
- Low — we manufacture to stock
- Lead time
- 2 – 3 days
We are cutting into fabric already on the shelf, so the quantity barrier is low and the job moves quickly.
Custom design on stock fabric
- Minimum
- Low
- Lead time
- 7 – 10 days
Your own design, cut from fabric we already hold. Same low quantity barrier, a little longer to make.
Custom fabric or colour
- Minimum
- 2,000 pieces
- Lead time
- Quoted per job
We source the fabric, trims and accessories for you. That is a production run of its own, which is where the 2,000 piece minimum comes from.
Sublimation
- Minimum
- No minimum — price improves with quantity
- Lead time
- Quoted per job
No quantity barrier at all. Order one or order a thousand; the unit price is what changes.
Available fabrics
This garment is knitted, so it runs in the fabrics below. Each is held in stock.
- Bingwa Pamba100% cotton · Round neck200 GSM
- Bingwa Sports100% polyester · Spun pique200 GSM
- Champion100% polyester · Round neck160 GSM
- Airtouch60% cotton / 40% polyester · Cooltech interlock220 GSM
- Bingwa Boxi100% polyester · Waffle knit200 GSM
Decoration options
- Screen printing
- Heat press / transfer
- Embroidery
- Woven labels
- Custom packaging
- DTF
- Sublimation
All decoration is done in house, which is why a printed or embroidered garment does not add a week to your lead time.
Typically ordered by
- Retail brands
- Staff uniforms
- Events and campaigns
- Promotional giveaways
- School and club kit
Related families
What buyers ask
about t-shirts.
There is no single number, because it depends on the fabric. If we are cutting from fabric and a colour we already hold, the minimum is low and the job moves in two to three days. If you want your own design on that stock fabric, the minimum is still low and it takes seven to ten days. It is only when we source fabric, trims and accessories specially for you that the minimum becomes 2,000 pieces, because that is a production run of its own. Sublimation has no minimum at all.
No. A couple of hundred is a normal order on stock fabric, and most of our work looks like that. The 2,000 piece figure people worry about applies only to custom fabric or a custom colour, where we are buying in material specially. Tell us the quantity and the look you want and we will tell you which route it fits.
Two to three days on stock fabric in a stock colour. Seven to ten days for your own design cut from that stock fabric. Where we are sourcing fabric or a custom colour, the lead time is quoted with the job, because it depends on what the material is and where it comes from. Sublimation is also quoted per job.
Screen printing, embroidery, DTF (direct to film) and sublimation, all in the same building as the cutting and sewing. That matters for your lead time, because a decorated garment never has to travel out to a third party and back. You can mix methods on one garment: an embroidered chest mark with a printed back is a common and sensible combination.
Yes, and this is one of the cases where we are sourcing fabric specially, so the 2,000 piece minimum applies. We match against your Pantone or brand guideline references and record them against your account, so a repeat order in a year is built from the same inputs. Exact dye matching is confirmed at sampling stage.
None. You can order one piece or a thousand. What changes with quantity is the unit price, not whether we will take the job. Sublimation suits full-colour designs, marathon and sports jerseys, and anything where the print covers the whole garment.
Quote t-shirts
Ready to price
your run?
Tell us the quantity, the colourways and the decoration and we will come back with a unit price and a lead time. There is no single minimum — it depends on whether we are cutting stock fabric or sourcing new fabric for you.
Or call +255 651 100 500 · Monday – Friday, 08:00 – 17:00 EAT