Fashion Tips and Tricks

African Fashion Is Being Celebrated. But Where Is the Investment?


On the second day of 2025, Kantamonto, the largest secondhand market in the world, went up in flames. Millions of dollars worth of goods were burned in one night, completely decimating the livelihood of sellers who depend on unwanted garments from the Global North to make a living. Kantamonto is just one of many African markets that substantially contribute to their country’s economy — they exist in Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. But the existence of these markets, while integral to people making a living, is an enemy of progress.

Why would new garments made from Africa be valued if so much of the economy in Africa is dependent on old, unwanted clothing?

While stats are varied on the exact amount, the fashion industry is a major contributor to global climate change via the use of fossil fuel-based textiles, likely somewhere between 7-10% of greenhouse gasses, according to 2022 Greenpeace report. It’s also a major cause of water pollution worldwide with over 80% of its supply chain impacting the Global South. The biggest net importers of used clothes were Ghana ($181M net trade value), Ukraine ($154M net trade value), Nigeria ($123M net trade value), Kenya ($122M net trade value), and Tanzania ($102M net trade value).

In the past, the onus of dealing with obroni wawu (Akan term used to label Western clothing waste) has been on the continent to solve, but the tide is changing.

“Framing this [issue] as ‘Africa’s waste problem’ doesn’t reflect the reality of our interconnectedness and the fact that, though this problem affects people in Africa most immediately, ultimately it affects us all no matter where we live,” Chloe Asaam, Senior Programs Manager, The Or Foundation tells me.

Based in Accra, Ghana, The OR Foundation’s work looks to research and tackle the global waste crisis through intentionally focused programming.

“We understand it will continue to be a collective effort to clean up the mess,” Assam adds. “At the same time, we believe that the root of the issue originates in the Global North, so onus should be placed there as well. Currently, The Or Foundation is calling on big fashion brands to share their annual production volumes, a datapoint that every brand knows but doesn’t make publicly available. This information is critical for informing sustainability frameworks and policies to reduce waste, carbon emissions and exploitative labor practices.”

While the West views mass production and visibility as a sign of a success, African designers have mastered small-scale, niche business models that limit excessive waste. If the mindset of the West could change — reducing seasonal collections, valuing upcycling, prioritizing quality over quantity — everyone would benefit.

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