Ghana

Ghana’s second-hand Kantamanto Market is protesting the “ongoing misrepresentation, including false claims” that it is a “waste dumping ground,” condemning the “hypocrisy and misinformation campaign” of a US-based NGO.

Oxford Economics, leaders in global economic forecasting and quantitative analysis, has just published an exhaustive report on the state of the second-hand clothing trade between the EU27+ and three African nations. Johanna Neuhoff, Director of Economic Consulting, Continental Europe, delves deep into the nuances of the sector and the bearing it has on people on both sides in this free-wheeling conversation.

A report that analyses the socioeconomic impact of the second-hand clothing industry in the EU, the UK (EU27+), as also the three African countries of Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique, says that the sector generated a cumulative €3 billion of revenues in Europe alone in 2023.

A report by Ellen MacArthur Foundation outlines a shared direction of travel and the opportunity for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to create ambitious outcomes that accelerate the circular economy transition.

Less than a month ago, the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association (GUCDA) released a report which contended that media reports of waste were gross over-estimates. These reports and also the campaigns are being driven by flawed data, argues GUCDA General Secretary Edward Atobrah Binkley in this riveting interview with texfash.

Media reports on the amount of textile waste being imported into African countries is much lower than the estimated 40% or more with less than 5% of the imports to Ghana could be considered waste.

Brain drain has long been argued to be one of Africa’s key development challenges. Drawing on interviews with 31 fashion designers but focusing on the career geography of internationally renowned Kofi Ansah, researchers show how ‘brain drain’ turned into ‘brain gain’ and consequently ‘brain circulation’, fundamentally transforming Ghana’s fashion industry.