Scholarlink

<p>The socio-political and economic status in Southern Africa exacerbates the vulnerability of the region to foreign aid including the flow of second-hand clothing (SHC). This has facilitated the informality in the economic sector of the region where illegal second-hand clothing flows have emerged between the Global North (GN) and local suppliers. Second-hand clothing (SHC) trading significantly contributes to the economic transformation of many economies across the globe; however, it is riddled with a myriad of detrimental impacts on the environment, public health, and manufacturing industries, especially in developing countries. The scenario is more visible in Southern Africa (SA) where high levels of poverty aggravate the practice. This review paper analyses SHC trading in SA using the existing literature. The title, abstract content, keywords, and language determined the literature sources’ suitability. Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed and other authentic Government documents were used to acquire literature to develop the review article and this gave a total of 66 articles altogether. The articles used in this review were selected based on their geographical focus on Southern Africa and the presence of specific keywords including relevant acronyms to ensure alignment with the thematic scope of the study. Interpretive thematic analysis was used, in which each of the sources was examined separately before being combined with the objectives of the study. Major findings revealed that SHC trading is characterised by the flow of unwanted, used, and donated garments from the Global North (GN) hence, Africa is treated as a clothing dump site. SHC trading in SA is difficult to control since the adopted approaches to manage this activity are fragmented and the majority of people evade imposed restrictions because illegal cross-border trading is a main source of livelihood in most African countries. The GN and charity organizations facilitate the exportation of SHC in large quantities at prices that are affordable to the poor. The review article develops a framework to sustainably manage the problem of SHC in SA.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Second-hand Clothing Trade in Southern Africa: Sustainability Challenges and Policy Responses

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月18日

查看全文
  • Beauty Dzawanda,
  • Mark Makomborero Matsa,
  • Juliet Chidochashe Runokunda,
  • Elvis Batsirai Gumbo

摘要

The socio-political and economic status in Southern Africa exacerbates the vulnerability of the region to foreign aid including the flow of second-hand clothing (SHC). This has facilitated the informality in the economic sector of the region where illegal second-hand clothing flows have emerged between the Global North (GN) and local suppliers. Second-hand clothing (SHC) trading significantly contributes to the economic transformation of many economies across the globe; however, it is riddled with a myriad of detrimental impacts on the environment, public health, and manufacturing industries, especially in developing countries. The scenario is more visible in Southern Africa (SA) where high levels of poverty aggravate the practice. This review paper analyses SHC trading in SA using the existing literature. The title, abstract content, keywords, and language determined the literature sources’ suitability. Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed and other authentic Government documents were used to acquire literature to develop the review article and this gave a total of 66 articles altogether. The articles used in this review were selected based on their geographical focus on Southern Africa and the presence of specific keywords including relevant acronyms to ensure alignment with the thematic scope of the study. Interpretive thematic analysis was used, in which each of the sources was examined separately before being combined with the objectives of the study. Major findings revealed that SHC trading is characterised by the flow of unwanted, used, and donated garments from the Global North (GN) hence, Africa is treated as a clothing dump site. SHC trading in SA is difficult to control since the adopted approaches to manage this activity are fragmented and the majority of people evade imposed restrictions because illegal cross-border trading is a main source of livelihood in most African countries. The GN and charity organizations facilitate the exportation of SHC in large quantities at prices that are affordable to the poor. The review article develops a framework to sustainably manage the problem of SHC in SA.