Mitumba: Time to rethink di second-hand clothing economy for Africa

Because people dey buy too much fast-fashion, dem dey pack plenty second-hand clothes comot send go African ports, many times dem dey hide am as 'charity.' At the end, wetin be West people closet clean-out don turn to big wahala for Africa.

Wetin dem dey show as generosity, for practice don turn to multimillion-dollar business, as charities and recycling companies dey sell these donations make dem profit.

No be like normal market trade — na economic dumping e be, because dem dey sell clothes for prices wey dey choke local manufacturers, dey stop domestic industry make e grow and dey lock people into dependence on wetin West don chuk away.

For decades, African countries don dey waka for this konkon: dem dey try ban the trade, dem dey also accept am when pressure high. The main question still dey: the big 'Mitumba' markets wey full ground, na wetin keep millions people chop, or na new form of neo-colonialism wey people never notice?

Raw material-producing Africa consumes fast fashion

Even though many African countries be some of the biggest producers of textile raw materials for the world, the continent still dey far behind for fabric and clothes manufacturing.

These cotton-growing economies dey end up to buy back finished clothes from the West, clothes wey no get the added value wey suppose remain for them. For plenty poor people, second-hand clothes be the only correct option.

Dem dey call am 'mitumba' for East Africa, 'okrika' for Nigeria and 'salaula' for Zambia. These clothes dem first donate by consumers for the West, then big charity networks and commercial recycling firms go collect, sort and sell dem before dem even reach African markets.

E no be only way to get cheap cloth. For millions people, na road to self-reliance. Vendors dey buy the bales, then dem dey sell every single piece for busy markets, building livelihood for ground wey no stable at all.

The US veto and a livelihood under threat

The fight between people wey wan ban the trade and people wey wan protect livelihoods blow up for 2016. East African Community (EAC) agree say dem go ban import of used clothing by 2019, move wey suppose help textile self-sufficiency.

But that plan scatter quick when the Trump administration threaten to comot those countries from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the important US trade pact wey dey give better market access. AGOA permission finally lapsed in September 2025 without clear plan to renew am, and that one show again how Western economic leverage dey always place market access above real industrial partnership.

This thing show one truth: the West prefer make Africa remain market for their discarded clothes than make Africa turn to manufacturing competitor. Under heavy pressure, the EAC cancel the ban. The reasons waka pass geopolitics straight go the harsh reality of everyday life.

The trade na big informal economy. For Kenya alone, e dey employ near two million people. For low-income communities, mitumba dey give clear benefits: price, how people see the quality and the variety wey local industry no fit match.

The question wey Abdullah, one long-time Tanzanian vendor ask, show the hard choice: 'Who fit afford new clothes?' Na either you wear West cast-offs or you no get cloth.

This preference no only dey about money. Second-hand T-shirt wey comot Europe or America sometimes get small cultural prestige — people see am as mark of quality and modernity wey new local clothes fit lack.

That one create one kind strong mental problem: people depend on West discards because dem don believe say dem better, so the journey to fit control our own clothes no be only industrial matter again, na cultural matter too.

Mitumba as a First-Rate Exploitation

This kind economic dependence still bring another bad problem. No be all second-hand clothes wey West dey send dey wearable. Research from The OR Foundation for Ghana show say the quality of garments for the bales dey drop every year and more part don turn unsellable, wey dey create big waste problem for the countries wey dey receive am.

This don turn some places like Ghana to mountain of textile graveyards, where non-biodegradable synthetic fabrics dey release toxins into soil and water — last poisonous present from fast fashion. This one dey speed up global warming and make environmental damage worse.

Clear imbalance show: Global North dey enjoy profit from overproduction and waste, while African countries dey carry the cost. Under cover of 'donation,' Global North dey offload toxic byproducts of their overconsumption for Africa, make their own place tidy.

Another wahala be say mitumba market as 'alternative economy' don fully push local manufacturing comot. Today, millions depend on this sector for their daily chop, yet no sustainable local production dey.

Local industries for the continent still dey struggle to turn raw materials into large-scale textile production or big competing brands. The bales from the West no be only income source — dem be chain of dependency.

If one day the West decide to stop these 'so-called aid packages,' Africa go find herself without viable textile industry or the productive capacity to employ people. In short, a continent wey depend on Western garbage go remain economically and socially naked if the flow stop.

Weaving a new future

So, African leaders fit break this cycle. The goal no fit be simple ban without solid alternative. The answer na comprehensive industrial policy to bring back and strengthen local textile manufacturing.

That one mean to reopen factories wey dem close, give incentives to young entrepreneurs, and cleverly brand the continent’s deep weaving traditions — not only as cultural fine thing, but as foundation for economic independence.

Important thing be say this revival no mean isolation. As Africa rethink her place for global textile value chains, the way forward na to diversify partnerships and move from model of dependence to one of selective, strategic collaboration.

Today, the continent dey do business with producers from China and South Asia to the Middle East, each one get different cost, quality and dependency trade-offs. Some importers point to countries like Türkiye, wey get more durable and consistent textiles wey fit serve as transitional partners rather than permanent substitutes.

Working with these partners for technology, skills transfer or balanced trade in intermediate goods fit help Africa move from exporting raw materials to doing value-added production and build their own brands.

Africa real power no be the content of Western bales but the future wey she fit weave for her own looms. Future wey strong no be by wearing world leftovers, but by tailoring her own destiny through innovative, fair partnerships and revived industrial pride.

The author, Sare Şanlı, na commentator wey dey specialise for African politics and global power relations for the continent.

Disclaimer: The views wey the author express no necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of TRT Afrika.