This archive report was first published on 9 July 2019.
Published on July 9, 2019, a study by Dr. Andrew Brooks and Prof. David Simon at the University of London revealed that the majority of donated used clothing from the developed world is sold to second-hand merchants in sub-Saharan Africa, where a third of all globally donated clothes are sold.
The study, titled 'Unraveling the Relationship between Used-Clothing Imports and the Decline of African Clothing Industries,' found that 300 bales of second-hand clothing can be sold in Africa for around £25,000, while using only £2,000 for transport.
As a result, the used clothing industry has devastated the East African textile industry, destroying manufacturers like Rift Valley Textiles (Rivatex) and Kisumu Cotton Mills, and driving thousands of farmers, factory workers, seamstresses, and tailors out of business.
However, there is hope for West Africa's textile industry. Generations of families in Kano, Nigeria, have perfected indigo cloth-making skills, spanning over 600 years. The handspun cloth is dyed in pits, such as those in Kofar Mata.
With the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement aiming to create a tariff-free continent, grow local businesses, boost intra-African trade, and create jobs, West Africa can produce clothes for large-scale distribution in East Africa.
Will we soon hear the cry of Adieye! on East African streets, as West Africa's textile industry revives and becomes a major player in the region's fashion scene?
