Second-hand clothing hawking a hit at Oshakati

IT IS a typical day at the Oshakati Open Market as vendors fill up the venue with various products up for sale.

The midday heat is unbearable, but business is nonetheless thriving as customers flock to the market.

Heaps of endless rows of second-hand clothes line up the alleys of the open market, where vendors compete to yell out prices to entice customers, who are spoilt for choice, to buy many items of clothing for a bargain.

Although the sale of second-hand clothing has always existed in Namibia, many more young women and men are creating opportunities for themselves by flocking to Angola to import bales of used clothes for resale back home.

With the demand for lower prices and many people losing their jobs due to the current economic downturn, this trend has spread all around the country, with the north being one of the biggest hubs for fairly used cheap clothes in the country. This industry caters for everyone, and clothes are cheap.

With many people living in abject poverty in the northern regions, this new sector provides affordable quality clothing to many who struggle to get by.

This informal industry is also said to have created hundreds of jobs for many unemployed youths and many others.

The second-hand clothes are purchased by wholesalers in bales, which ranges from N$200 to N$600, depending on what one prefers to order, and the size.

A local vendor at the Oshakati open market, who did not want to be identified, told The Namibian that selling second-hand clothes is the same as doing any other ordinary business because it comes with its own challenges.

“The business is doing well, and people are now starting to invest in second-hand clothes, unlike when I first started. Second- hand clothes were once regarded as clothing for the less fortunate, as people with better-paying jobs would never want to be seen frequenting the open markets to buy clothes. But now things have changed, and everyone with or without money is coming here to look for bargains.

“With the current economic downturn, people have become wise spenders. They only buy on a budget, and there are days that there are no customers, but otherwise there is money to be made in this business,” said the woman.

Maria Iyambo, a teacher, a mother of two, is one of many who come to the Oluno open market on a weekly basis to shop for second-hand clothes for herself and her children.

“I have stopped buying clothes in shops now. All I do is come here, and that’s it. Second-hand goods are quite cheap and affordable, especially in times like this when we are battling a drought. At least I get to save some money, even after doing my shopping, and these clothes are of quality,” she said.

Thomas Koneka Iindji, the chairperson of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI)’s northern branch told The Namibian that the retail industry is highly affected as many people, inclusive of those with moderate incomes, opt for second-hand clothing.

“Unemployment is rife among the youth. The youth have little, if at all, access to loan finance. As such, with the second-hand clothing business, you do not need substantial start-up capital. In addition, most of the trade in second-hand clothing is done through hawking, and rental costs are thus eliminated. This type of trade is unregulated, and there are no statistics in this regard,” he said.

Iindji added that the economic realities facing the country have forced people to find cheaper products, as many cannot afford the expensive alternatives.

“There are no regulations in place to control this trade. People also want to do business to put food on the table, and the only source of relatively cheaper goods is Angola and China,” he said.

When asked if second-hand clothes’ vendors have licences for operating, Iindji said: “In most cases, the second-hand clothes’ dealers do not have any licence, neither are they registered with Bipa. It is the easiest business to set up as you probably do not even need to rent space in order to operate this type of business.”

He stated that only second-hand clothes’ vendors who import from South Africa pay import tax, while those who import from Angola to do not pay any import duty as there is no import tax regime in place at the moment.

The Namibian retail industry, which is mostly dominated by South African franchises, has been struggling ever since the recurring economic downturn, with some shops having closed down.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.