Mitumba to Mabhero: What second-hand clothes are called across Africa
Some second-hand clothes are cheaper and more durable than new fashion designs using various materials.
They are often imported into the country from foreign nations, mostly Europe and the United States of America, and the demand is extremely high in the nations that import these second-hand clothes.
In Kenya, these second-hand clothes are called mitumba, and are mostly sold in open-air markets and small-scale retail shops that re-sell fashionable items they manage to get their hands on.
Also read: WATCH: Meet Sakaja’s millionaire CEC who is a thrifting/mitumba queen
A 2019 Economic Affairs and Mitumba Consortium Association of Kenya study found that 91.5% of Kenyan households bought second-hand clothes worth Sh 1000 and below.
The mitumba industry was roughly worth Sh 18 billion at the time. The figure has now changed due to factors such as high cost of living and the weakening of the Kenya Shilling against the American dollar.
However, the stereotype surrounding second-hand clothes is that they initially belonged to dead white people whose families gave them away to charities and organizations before the clothes became resellers, especially in Africa.
With such a vibrant economy surrounding the second-hand clothes reselling business in Kenya and probably the rest of the continent, it was interesting to find out what other African nations called their mitumba clothes.
Also read: Kenya’s recycled mitumba makes it to Paris Fashion Week
“Second-hand clothes go by different names in different parts of Africa. In Ghana, they are called Obroni wawu, meaning dead white men’s clothes or clothes from those who died in Europe. What do you call second-hand clothes in your country?” asked Your African Nation, a Nigerian-based social media group that focuses on discourse among Africans for Africans.
Nairobi News sampled some of the responses below:
“I’m from Sudan we here called gogo. Al gogo means a popular name given to used clothes sold by specialized dealers in various part of the country,” said Sadiq Al’amin.
“In Malawi we call it, kaunjika,” said Charity Chisete as Joe Gibson Zulu expounded by explaining Kaunjika means, “a heap of clothes. The reason being that in former times these second hand clothes would just be put in a heap; shirts, jerseys, trousers, neck ties, dresses, blouses all together. And buyers would wade through the heap of clothes to find an item they were looking for.”
“In South Africa we call it mabhero,” said Mzukisi Gab’omhle Ndamase, as others said the same term was also used in neighboring Zimbabwe.
Also read: Watch: South African YouTuber Kurt Caz surprises mitumba seller with Sh122k gift
“In Nigeria 🇳🇬 we call it Orkrika, meaning second hand,” said Mike Jerry. It was further revealed that in northern Nigeria, the second hands clothes were called Gwanjo.
“Mivuumba in Uganda 🇺🇬 meaning everyone can wear,” added El Pato.
“In South Sudan, we call it aliwara,” said Monyumou De Chuli.
“In Zimbabwe its Ibhele….. And the (second hand) markets are called ko khothamani (where you bend) 😂😂,” said Shalom Tshuma.
It was found that like in Kenya, Tanzanians also called their second hand clothes mitumba, meaning cheap clothes.
Other names included Jogban (Central Nigeria), Salaula (Zambia), dogaflag (Liberia), aboré a samza (Cameroon central), old Claire or Thintha (South Africa) and Tombola (DRC) among several others.
Also read: Moses Kuria caught in a storm over planned ban of mitumba