Second-hand clothing markets across East Africa remain crowded despite policy moves to curb imports, and governments face a tension between protecting local garment makers and preserving livelihoods tied to the mitumba trade, BBC reporting shows. Traders, designers, policymakers, and researchers cited in the coverage describe competing priorities: affordability and employment from used‑clothes commerce versus industrial growth, environmental strain, and long‑term economic value from domestic production.
Markets and demand
Gikomba in Kenya and Ilala in Tanzania stayed busy even during heavy rain, with shoppers navigating waterlogged stalls for imported second‑hand garments.
Buyers praised mitumba for affordability, quality, and uniqueness; sellers and tailors across the region rely on the trade for income.
Policy responses
Kenya applies a 30% customs duty on used clothing, five percentage points higher than for new items, and considered but dropped a proposed tax change after public backlash.
Uganda introduced an additional 30% environmental levy on used clothing on top of an existing 35% import duty and 18% VAT, citing environmental protection and a push for domestic production.
Trade volumes
According to OEC and UN trade data, Kenya imported about 180,000 tonnes of used clothing in 2022, a 76% rise from 2013, making it Africa’s leading mitumba importer.
Surveys and studies in the region show second‑hand garments often top local consumer demand ahead of new imports and domestic items.
Economic arguments for mitumba
Stakeholders estimate that as many as 4.9 million people across East Africa depend on the used‑clothing trade for work, including importers, wholesalers, market traders, tailors, and food vendors.
Proponents argue mitumba supports livelihoods and provides affordable clothing even for the poorest households.
Critiques and industry limits
Researchers and fashion‑industry figures say retailing imported used garments yields limited economic development compared with local production, marketing, and distribution.
Many jobs tied to mitumba are described as low‑wage and lacking pathways for growth, constraining broader economic benefit.
Environmental concerns
Environmental groups and research indicate a significant share of imported used clothing is low quality and heads to landfill; one 2023 estimate said over one in three items shipped to Kenya were effectively waste.
Signatories to the Basel Convention are considering whether to classify used garments as waste, a move that could prompt higher taxes or stricter controls globally.
Lessons from Rwanda
Rwanda raised taxes on used clothing in 2016 and later reported a drop in mitumba’s share of imports and an increase in garment exports, which authorities cited as evidence of growing local industry.
However, Rwanda paused plans for a total ban on used garments in 2022, citing gaps in domestic textile and apparel production capacity.
Impact of cheap new imports
Traders and designers warn that inexpensive new clothing from countries such as China and Turkey may pose a greater threat to local manufacturing than mitumba.
As mitumba supply tightened in Rwanda, consumers shifted toward cheap new imports, complicating the policy trade-offs for regional governments.
Industry responses and coexistence
Some local designers and upcyclers see opportunity in mitumba materials for creative fashion, while industry advocates argue for policies that let second‑hand and local manufacturing coexist.
Stakeholders suggest focusing on storytelling, quality, and brand building to make domestically produced clothing more attractive to consumers.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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