Ghana’s bustling secondhand clothing trade is booming, and so is its darker side. While the market offers affordable garments to millions and supports an estimated 2.5 million jobs nationwide, environmental and social concerns are mounting as unsellable clothing waste overwhelms local infrastructure.
In recent years, Ghana has emerged as a major global hub for used garments. In 2021 alone, the country imported used clothing worth approximately $214 million, and over the past years, imports have surged to an estimated $323 million and believed to be increasing, with about 15 million items arriving weekly from markets in the United Kingdom, China, and North America.
At the heart of the trade is the recently burnt Kantamanto Market in Accra, which is being rebuilt and looking like it was before the fires. It is a sprawling complex once hailed as the largest second hand clothing market in West Africa. Here, thousands of traders sort, repair, and resell imported clothing.
Kantamanto, a bustling commercial hub in the heart of Accra’s Central Business District, is the epicenter of Ghana’s thriving second-hand clothing trade. Known for its chaotic yet vibrant atmosphere, the market is a melting pot of traders, bargain hunters, and resellers, all navigating through tightly packed stalls overflowing with imported clothes, shoes, and accessories. Beyond second-hand apparel, Kantamanto is a hotspot for wholesale and retail trading, where businesses of all sizes converge to buy and sell goods ranging from textiles to household items. Despite its informal nature, the market plays a crucial role in Ghana’s economy, providing employment and affordable clothing to millions.
The rapid influx of imported clothing has outpaced waste management capabilities. While some studies by the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association suggest that only about 5% of imported garments are unsellable, other reports and on-the-ground observations indicate that as much as 40% of these items are too damaged or poor in quality to be sold. These unsellable clothes often end up in informal dumpsites or are washed into the sea, where they accumulate on beaches, clog waterways, and tarnish popular tourist destinations.
Sometimes referred to locally as “obroni wawu” (dead white man’s clothes), they do not only degrade the natural beauty of Ghana’s coastlines but also disrupt marine ecosystems and local livelihoods. In areas such as Korle-gono, Jamestown and Chorkor, fishermen are most at times deceived by nets filled with textiles instead of fish, highlighting the everyday impact of the textile overflow.
Despite these challenges, the secondhand clothing business remains a vital economic lifeline. The trade supports a robust circular economy by enabling the resale, repair, and upcycling of garments, which, for many, is the only means to afford clothing. Yet the environmental and social costs have prompted calls for stronger regulatory frameworks and investment in waste management and recycling infrastructure.
“OWO,” festival (Obroni Wawu October) celebrated in the month of October at Kantamanto is a festival that seeks to look out how the influx of these second hand clothes can be changed or upcycled into branded wears that can last long. The initiative is a good one but however, a larger solution across board is required to deal with the matter.
