Commissioned by ADPP Mozambique, a new study called “Current Status of Mozambique’s Second-Hand Clothing Market: Opportunities and Challenges,” clarifies the major environmental and financial effects of the second-hand clothing (SHC) sector. The paper stresses the need of including in debates on the worldwide worth of the second-hand clothes trade the particular economic reality of the Global South.
Important Notes of the Report
Supporting more than a million people, the SHC sector in Mozambique is absolutely crucial. In this active sector, established businesses make an average monthly income of $650, much more than the national minimum pay of $90. More than 85% of people meet their basic wardrobe needs from second-hand clothes.
Apart from that, the industry pays taxes worth about $35 million to Mozambique’s budget, therefore supporting important social projects such education and healthcare.
Former Mozambican prime minister Madame Luisa Diogo, who is now non-executive director at Absa Bank Group, attended the report’s launch and underlined its relevance for her country. She said, “This new study emphasises how important the SHC sector is for the welfare of our people and the economy of Mozambique. It’s more than simply clothes; it’s a source of dignity and opportunity that creates employment and major tax income for necessary services.
Diogo underlined even further the evidence in the research showing the many advantages of the SHC trade and argued in favour of including the SHC sector into the green economy to help Africa reach its targets of inclusive growth, sustainable development, and reduction of poverty.
Testing Difficult Ideas
The report also clarifies misunderstandings concerning the SHC sector, especially with relation to the “clothing dumping” concept. It highlights Mozambique’s rich history of clothes reuse, as native tailors either artistically alter or pass on items handed down through the years. This approach not only helps to save resources but also supports cultural values.
Moreover, by offering chances for job and skill development that raise their quality of living, the SHC sector has shown transforming power for underprivileged groups like women and young people. These results complement comparable studies carried out in other Sub-Saharan African countries including Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Trade Policy Advice Notes
The research honours the efforts of the SHC industry but also issues a warning against tight trade rules in Europe and Africa that can unintentionally help rival markets, especially China, which exports cheap fast fashion products. The report urges educated policy debates considering climate change, waste management, and environmental sustainability as debates on the future of SHC imports became more intense. Ensuring the long-term survival of the SHC sector and avoiding global sustainability initiatives from becoming backfire depend on such kind of communication.
Mozambique ranks 183rd out of 191 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index, indicating its status as one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world; nonetheless, the SHC sector is still a major source of state income, apparel, and jobs. With 1.28 million people working in the SHC sector and 2.5 million Africans depending on income generated by it, a prior Humana People survey indicated the larger relevance of the sector across Africa.
Finally, the new analysis underlines the significant influence of the second-hand clothes sector in Mozambique and supports its acceptance as a necessary part of the economy and a road towards sustainable development.
