Second Hand Clothing Market In Africa

Saving the african textile sector requires strong action.

Second hand clothing market in africa. It is a common scene across africa with ghana nigeria ivory coast tanzania benin uganda and kenya among the biggest markets for second hand clothes. In 2016 four countries in the region agreed to phase out second hand clothes imports by 2019. A sum that should be invested in the production of fabrics and clothing in local cotton. Http goo gl 4dgy2r people in lagos love fashion and won t hesitate to buy the best brands.

According to oxfam an organization that does humanitarian work importing second hand clothes costs africa an average of us 42 5 million a year. Poverty unemployment is widespread in south africa however clothing is one of the essentials that everyone needs this has opened up an opportunity for secondhand clothing resellers. In 2015 the states of the east african community eac announced that from 2019 second hand clothes and shoes would be banned from their markets. The second hand trade varies from country to country for example in nigeria and senegal second hand clothes reflect the local traditional styles and are mainly locally produced.

But the us has claimed this proposed ban goes too. Across the african continent second hand clothes are a mainstay of informal traders even accounting for the majority of clothing sales in some countries. In nigeria they are known as kafa ulaya. East africa s biggest second hand clothes market gikomba in nairobi sells used clothes coming from the us and south korea in uganda second hand garments account for 81 of all clothing.

He blames the second hand clothes trade which is valued at 1bn 641m annually in malawi 10 times its value in 1990. But while some people spend. With south africa s economy in such poor shape people who would previously not have purchased secondhand clothing will purchase it today. In contrast second hand shops in south africa or zambia reflect the western fashion trends.