The used clothes business

MASERU – THE hand-me-down, as secondhand clothes are referred to, has become a booming business that is rapidly capturing the market across all towns in Lesotho.

Hawkers going from house-to-house wheeling heavy travel bags full of second-hand clothes are a common sight, even deep in the mountainous regions of the country.

Some barter the clothes with sheep in rural mountainous areas.

In Maseru second-hand clothes hang in almost every street.

Near the city’s main market in Maseru, people flock to tables of second-hand shoes and used underwear, picking their favourites.

“People value the price and the quality of second-hand goods over new clothes,’’ said ’Mapusetso Kotelo, who sells ladies underwear including lingerie.

In Lesotho, where unemployment has hit 24.6 percent, according to Statista 2022, people have resorted to second-hand clothe selling for survival. Some say the second-hand clothes business in

Lesotho has been one of the unrecognised informal sectors which has the potential to spur the economy, although others argue that it has negative effects on the local textile industry.

A study conducted in West Africa on second-hand clothing shows that global trade in clothing is worth more than M18 billion (US$1 billion) each year.

Although the report highlighted that second-hand clothing accounts for a small proportion of the total trade in clothing, it is a dominant feature of the clothing market for many sub-Saharan countries such as Lesotho due to their affordability.

Kotelo, who has been in this industry for six years, says selling second-hand underwear is one of the fastest growing profit-generating businesses in Lesotho.

Initially, she sold winter coats which would generate a profit of M7 000 monthly – three times more than the wage of a textile factory worker.

The textile sector is the second largest employer after the government in Lesotho, with about 40 000 workers.

However, with second-hand underwear, Kotelo said she has managed to generate a profit of around M6 000 in the past two weeks.

Kotelo said she has been receiving positive feedback from her clients who are fascinated about the quality and affordability of the underwear.

Panties and brassiere at retail shops cost between M70 to M300 per pair, while at the Hlohlora Store (Dust-Off Store), as selling secondhand clothes from the pavements is called, they cost M30 or less per pair.

Despite Covid-19, which interrupted the industry, Kotelo said she managed to buy land around Maseru and built a two-roomed house.

She also manage to pay M3 000 school fees and other school expenses for her child with the money she makes from selling second-hand clothes.

However, she said since the business is informal, there are no clear regulations to protect traders.

“Sometimes we are harassed by customers who come back complaining about products they would have bought. They sometimes take us to the police so that we can refund their money,” she said.

The quality of the second-hand clothing, especially shoes, has captured many hearts.

This makes the industry more alluring to both traders and customers.

Rorisang Tumahole, who has been in this business for four years, said business was good until Covid-19 hit.

With a bale of Grade A shoes, which costs around M9 000, she is able to make an average amount of M16 000.

“It depends on the kind of shoes I have because the price ranges from R450 to R650,” she said, holding a size 12 girls’ white and pink Airforce brand with a price tag of M450.

She would sell four bales for M64 000 a month before Covid-19 hit, she said.

However, she said they now sell a maximum of two bales which generates M32 000.

Since they buy their stock from Pretoria, South Africa, transport costs are a burden.

“I even pay a tax of M900 at the border. These rising costs have reduced our profits,” she said.

Tumahole says her decision to venture into the business was driven by the deteriorating quality of new shoes in local stores.

She said many people prefer second-hand shoes over new shoes due to quality issues.

“These shoes were only worn once,” she said, holding white AllStar brand shoes which still look new.

Due to their affordability, Tumahole says the shoes accommodate every person from a high income earner to low income earner.

“Branded shoes are no longer affordable. They are only affordable to middle and high income earners,’’ said Tumahole, who pays fees for her two school-going children.

“I am paying M12 000 for my college child,’’ said Tumahole, who built a fully-furnished seven-roomed house from proceeds of the business.

Due to limited market space, traders such as Tumahole have to find spots to sell their goods at places around town which are not marked for street vendors.

“We work in fear since the Maseru City Council guards keep chasing us. We cannot even build a proper shelter and this hinders us from working when it is raining,” she said.

Tumahole appealed to the government to increase the number of shelters for street vendors or at least increase the space for street vendors so that they can build some shelters.

She says even the tax issue should be reviewed since they are still hustling and recovering from Covid-19 and high prices.

The second-hand clothes industry also entails clothes such as dresses, T-shirts as well as toddler clothing.

One of the street vendors who specialises in selling male clothing, ’Mareatile Moikangoa, described the industry as “flexible”.

“If the coats for this winter are still left, I can still keep them for the following winter while I am busy selling summer clothes,” said Moikangoa, adding that the business has sustained her family ever since her husband lost his job in the mines in South Africa.

“I managed to pay the fee of M90 000 for my child who was at college,’’ she said.

Moikangoa called on the government to create jobs.

“We have lost customers because of the closure of the factories. Factory workers were our biggest customers,” she said.

The second-hand clothing industry in Lesotho has flourished over the past few years, statistics show.

According to the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, the value of the importation of second-hand clothing increased by M5.8 million from M9.8 million in 2017 to M15.6 million in 2021.

However, the amount dropped to M6.6 million in 2020 due to Covid-19 related border restrictions.

The spokesperson for Khathang Tema Baitšokoli, Metso-Mpeli Phangoa, said before the Covid-19 pandemic they had about 40 second-hand clothing street vendors but now over 500 have registered as street vendors.

He says Basotho ventured into this business as soon as Covid-19 restrictions were loosened.

Phangoa called on the government to restructure some laws in the industry.

“We are still governed by a law which was enacted in 1971 which gives the Maseru City Council the authority to give permits and terminate the permits anytime they wish to do so,” he said.

He says the law has allowed politicians to dominate the second-hand clothes’ business.

“There are more people who are working hard but they are denied the opportunity to get shelters,” he said.

Refiloe Mpobole