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With 70% of donated clothing ending up on the continent, circular fashion has been brought to the fore.
By The IA Team
Secondhand clothing was popularized across Africa when liberalization policies spearheaded by the World Bank were introduced in the late 80s and 90s, ushering in a new age of competition in local clothing industries. This meant that African governments removed barriers to trade between Africa and developed countries, and free trade was encouraged. Today, according to reports from Oxfam, it is said that more than 70% of clothes donated globally end up in Africa.
Increased concerns surrounding overconsumption and the environmental impacts of the fashion industry have brought the conversation around secondhand clothing and circular fashion to the fore. Globally, a growing interest in secondhand clothing in the West has led a mainstream shift; in 2021 luxury group Kering (the owner of Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and other prominent luxury houses) acquired a 5% stake in the Paris-based resale company Vestiaire Collective. In 2022, Vestiaire Collective acquired Tradesy, a California-based competitor, in a move that implies that the resale sector will continue to expand as the market accelerates. Meanwhile, Vogue forecasts that the secondhand market will reach $60 billion by 2025. In light of these dialogues, the impact of resale and second hand clothing in Africa’s keymarkets has dominated much intellectual debate. Here, we take a look at the continent’s most prominent resale markets and their roles in their respective economies
Trading at Accra’s Kantamanto Market has been a factor in the dynamism and economic productivity of the city for more than 30 years. Although located near the Makola Market area, Kantamanto Market is separate and distinct from Makola. More than 3000 traders call it home; they primarily offer used garments, spare parts, and homeware. Eco-Age posits that Kantamanto Market is a center for creativity, upcycling, and sustainability.
Compared to those in the United States or Europe, Ghanaians dress differently. For instance, “American citizens readily define themselves as ‘consumers,’ Ghanaian shoppers have a less transactional relationship with fashion where clothing is seen as a material they can recreateand reconstruct,” explained Liz Ricketts, co-founder of the non-profit organization The OR Foundation alongside Branson Skinner. Having also spearheaded the Dead White Man’s Clothes research project in Accra, Ghana, the duo is building a textile recycling center in Ghana and has been working closely with a local textile manufacturer to understand what is needed to transform textile waste into new material. The aim is for these materials to revitalize the local textile and fashion industry while also reversing colonial trade routes and positively impacting communities. Everything imported into Kantamanto gives Ghanaian business owners a chance to not only select and sell the more expensive goods to consumers but also reverse the narrative and market these goods to the Global North with a bit of Ghanaian flair.
Every year, Kenya imports over 100,000 tonnes of Mitumba—the Swahili term for secondhand clothing, shoes, and accessories—that were previously donated to charity shops in the West. Gikomba Market is the ultimate place for secondhand clothes in Kenya, and it is from here that merchandise is redistributed all around the nation.
The State of Second-Hand Clothes and Footwear Trade in Kenya Report found that the used clothing and textile business is vital to Kenya’s economy and employs two million people directly. The average Kenyan wage employee spends over 40% of their monthly salary on food alone. The remaining funds cover expenses such as housing, transportation, education, health, and others, while 91.5% of Kenyan households reportedly purchase used clothing.
Kenya was one of the first nations to agree to a structural adjustment loan with the World Bank in 1980. One of the first industries in Kenya to be affected by import competition was the apparel sector, as previously ineffective businesses were eliminated by inexpensive imports of secondhand clothing. But more recently, Kenya has experienced a surge in clothing exports, largely thanks to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The majority of sub-Saharan African nations, including Kenya, are granted duty-free and quota-free access to the American market under the AGOA, which was adopted by the U.S. government in 2000. As a result, the local Kenyan economy opened up to secondhand clothing that was initially donated to the underprivileged. However, many of Kenya’s formerly thriving textile businesses, including Rift Valley Textiles (Rivertex) and Kisumu Cotton Mills (Kicomi), collapsed due to a lack of demand as the younger urban population developed a preference for the originality and superior quality of pre-loved garments.
Many people indeed rely on the Mitumba ecosystem for their livelihoods, therefore, measures that would abruptly halt the thriving industry would not be well received. Former Kenya Association of Manufacturers CEO, Betty Maina, sees streamlining the local textile industry as a potential solution to this issue and suggests the
A well-known and flourishing industry in Malawi is Kaunjika, which roughly translates to clothing sold in a heap and refers to the secondhand clothing trade. Moses Chibwana, acting country director for Development Aid People to People (DAPP) Malawi, acknowledges the effect of secondhand clothing on Malawi's economy in an interview with NGO Humana People to People. Chibwana states that in the mid-90s, as Malawi's government started privatizing state-owned businesses, DAPP Malawi established the secondhand clothing industry. As a result, many employees lost their livelihoods. However, establishing small businesses offered many people new options, and selling used clothing has become a significant source of income for many households.
According to The Conversation, the widespread popularity of used clothes in Blantyre, Limbe, Zomba, and Lilongwe can be attributed to the following key factors:
Like many others on the African continent, the Malawian consumer will presumably continue to want access to the same brands, designs, and quality standards as the rest of the globe, even if it means purchasing Kaunjika.
The Igbo phrase Na mumu dey go boutique, which translates to only fools shop at boutiques, is exclaimed by traders from all corners of Katangua, one of Lagos' largest secondhand clothing markets—especially on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays when traders open new bales. This scene replays as traders rush and beckon customers to buy their sought-after items. Dubbed the “Wall Street of used garments'' by Nigeria's The Moment newspaper, the Katangowa market in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, is the continent's largest used clothing market. Apart from the famed Katangua Market in Oshodi, secondhand garments, commonly known as Okrika, Akube, or bend down select, may also be purchased at Lagos’ Alaba International Market, Badagry Market, Yaba Market, Tejuosho Market, and Aswani Market.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) restricted importers of textiles and other garment materials access to foreign exchange in March 2019. According to CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, the ban was imposed to revitalize the country's textile industry and ensure growth. Despite this ban in Africa’s most populous country, it is estimated that 80% of Nigerians still dress in secondhand clothing, which is a viable alternative for low-income earners and other individuals who choose to use it due to its distinguishable qualities. Although the government is actively trying to resuscitate the country's struggling textile industry, the majority of Nigerians require clothing that is both inexpensive and of decent quality. Though secondhand clothes may hinder the local industry, it could be a more sustainable option for impoverished and even middle-class Nigerians.
While the effects of the secondhand economy vary by economy, we see numerous growth opportunities. Secondhand goods have given many people access to quality, affordable clothes. Africa’s ever-growing Gen Z demographic is also making more conscious buying decisions as protest against the negative impact of overconsumption and fast fashion. This cohort embraces secondhand clothing and deconstructs notions of thrifted clothes, demonstrating the possibility that a shift in perception toward secondhand garments may be a viable solution toward a circular fashion economy.
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