Kantmanto's Women Sellers Fight Textile Waste from the Global North

The Struggle of Women Traders in Kantamanto Market

For the women traders of Kantamanto Market in Ghana’s capital, Accra, the fire was a devastating blow. This sprawling marketplace, known as West Africa’s largest garment resale hub, saw thousands of vendors lose their livelihoods when a January inferno swept through the area. In just hours, two lives were lost, and over 60% of the market’s retail-facing side was reduced to ash and rubble.

In the days that followed, many vendors felt overwhelmed by the emotional and financial toll of their situation. The majority of Kantamanto's retailers are women, often single mothers, who face daily challenges. These include dealing with poor-quality clothing bales that result in soiled, stained, or damaged garments they cannot resell. Financial strain is also a constant, as they juggle multiple debts while operating at a loss. Older women who retire from the trade often have little to show for their years of work, and some even face quiet despair without any support.

Despite these struggles, there seemed to be no one willing to listen. Western brands like Marks & Spencer, Nike, and Gap contribute to the problem by flooding the market with used clothing, which ends up mixing with local shores. Importers continue to raise the prices of bales despite diminishing returns. Without the help of The Or Foundation, an environmental justice nonprofit, the vendors might have been left to fend for themselves after the fire, especially since attention shifted when destructive blazes hit Los Angeles a week later.

The foundation has provided critical relief, including $1.5 million in direct aid and another $1 million for rebuilding. This has allowed the market to recover and implement improvements such as raised roofing, fire extinguishers, and wiring that meets national standards. By September, Kantamanto will complete its electrification and introduce a unified security force trained in fire safety, first aid, and gender-based violence prevention. Every stall will soon have its own fan to combat the tropical heat, and vendors will be able to charge devices to improve customer engagement and even explore online selling. Fire lanes for emergency vehicles are also being planned.

"About 80 to 90 percent of the rebuilding is from The Or Foundation," said Mary Sarkodie, who has sold used clothing since the 1980s. "Nobody else came to help us."

Sarkodie is part of the Kantamanto Women’s Association, formed to give a voice to the women in a male-dominated market. Despite claims by the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association (GUCDA) that certain narratives about Ghana becoming a waste-dumping ground are false, GUCDA primarily represents importers and does not fully understand the issues within the market.

Zaliatu Asare, another founder of the association, noted that the quality of secondhand garments has significantly declined. About 40% of the clothes in the bales end up as trash, and importers often add anything to meet weight requirements. This leaves only a small portion of the 15 million garments entering Kantamanto each week fit for resale.

The problems extend beyond the market itself. Adolescent girls and young women known as kayayei carry heavy loads on their heads, risking chronic injuries and even death. Those who sleep outside face risks of rape and sexual abuse. Young men who process hundreds of pairs of jeans often use stimulants to stay awake, leading to mental health challenges.

Ruth Odoom, who has been upcycling clothing for 15 years, recalls a time when the used clothing trade was respected. However, the rise of fast fashion has led to an overload of cheap, poorly made clothes, making it a “crime” to visit the beaches. She believes the people of Kantamanto should not bear the burden of overproduction.

The Kantamanto Women’s Association aims to create a more transparent supply chain, ensuring that each bale’s contents are less of a gamble. Vendors have had to help themselves, as no one else has stepped in. The losses from the fire are difficult to quantify, as many vendors bought extra bales in anticipation of the new year, paying higher prices due to seasonal demand.

A Greenpeace Africa report highlights the growing issue of fast fashion poisoning Ghana. Air samples from public washhouses showed dangerously high levels of toxic substances, and infrared testing revealed that nearly 90% of discarded garments are made from fossil-fuel fibers like polyester, contributing to microplastic pollution.

Gloria Asiamah, a veteran trader and the only female representative in the broader market leadership, describes the situation as "colonialism by another name." She notes that conditions in other markets like Gikomba in Nairobi and Owino in Kampala are similarly dire, with many days ending in tears and frustration.

"We buy, with money, the waste the global North cannot handle," she said. "If brands cannot handle their unwanted clothes, who can? They need to understand that we're helping each other."