Kenya Emerges Africas Largest Importer Of Second-hand Clothes

Kenya has emerged as thelargest importer of second-hand clothes in Africa, earning the unfortunate distinction of being an easy dumping ground for used apparel while struggling to revive its collapsed textile industry.

According to the latest trade data compiled by the United States-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, Kenya imported second-hand clothes and textiles worth Sh38.5 billion 298 million in 2023, making Kenya the continents leading buyer of mitumba, the Kiswahili term for second-hand clothing, surpassing Nigeria at number four.

The imports represent a 12.45 per cent increase from Sh34.28 billion 265 million in 2022, as shipments of used garments continue to flood the Kenyan market, meeting the growing demand for affordable clothing.

In 2023, Ghana ranked as the second-largest importer of second-hand clothes, with imports valued at Sh30.4 billion. South Africa followed at Sh29.4 billion, with Uganda at Sh27.2 billion, and Nigeria at Sh27 billion.

According to the report, Kenyan mitumba traders import various categories of second-hand clothes, including underwear, dresses, shirts, trousers, jackets, and shoes. Additionally, other used textiles such as bedding, towels, curtains, fabric scraps, and industrial rags also enter the country.