Kenya Becomes Africa Leading Importer Of Second-Hand Clothes

Kenya Becomes Africa Leading Importer Of Second-Hand Clothes

Kenya has emerged as Africa’s largest importer of second-hand clothes, highlighting the country’s status as a primary destination for used apparel while it grapples with efforts to revive its collapsed textile industry.

According to recent trade data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, Kenya imported second-hand clothing and textiles valued at Sh38.5 billion ($298 million) in 2023. This positions Kenya as the continent’s top buyer of mitumba—a Kiswahili term for second-hand clothing—surpassing Nigeria, which ranked fourth.

This import value reflects a 12.45% increase from Sh34.28 billion ($265 million) in 2022, as the influx of used garments continues to meet the rising demand for affordable fashion in Kenya…READ MORE…

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

Kenyan mitumba traders import a wide range of second-hand clothing, including underwear, dresses, shirts, trousers, jackets, and shoes. Other used textiles, such as bedding, towels, curtains, fabric scraps, and industrial rags, are also imported.

Tobias Alando, CEO of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, commented on the situation, noting that Kenya has lacked a strategic approach to revitalizing the textile sector.

Data from MIT’s Observatory of Economic Complexity shows that in 2022, Kenya’s second-hand clothing and textile imports nearly matched Nigeria’s at Sh34.5 billion ($265 million), with South Africa ranking third at Sh33.76 billion ($261 million). Notably, in 2021, South Africa was the largest importer of used clothes and textiles, despite restrictions on such imports except for specific uses like manufacturing industrial wiping rags or charity donations.

Although Nigeria has officially banned the importation of second-hand clothes, experts indicate that these items are still smuggled into the country from neighboring regions.

Some Kenyan trade ministry officials, speaking anonymously, suggest that a significant portion of Kenya’s mitumba imports may actually be intended for neighboring countries, with goods frequently crossing borders.

Kenya’s dependence on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) also complicates matters. AGOA, which grants eligible African nations duty-free access to the US market, mandates that Kenya must allow the importation of mitumba to maintain these trade privileges, as a substantial portion of the imported second-hand clothing originates from the United State.