Mitumba (clothing)

Mitumba ( Swahili, plural of mtumba, dt bundle) is a name for plastics bundled in old clothes from old clothes collections, which will be donated to charitable non-governmental organizations in industrialized countries and, via intermediaries to the markets of developing countries to be sold there. In a broader sense it is in the trade with Mitumba a phenomenon of globalization. The main market for trading in old clothes represents Africa

From the donation of clothing for sale

Charitable organizations such as the Red Cross or Caritas lead in the industrialized countries regularly by collecting donations of used clothing. The clothing collected will be sorted, bought by private companies and delivered to second-hand markets in developing countries. In Dar es Salaam, one of the largest hubs for Mitumba, the goods will be sold at prices that give the seller a profit, however, undercut the prices of locally-based textile producers. The ability to be able to sell clothes at low prices profitable results from the fact that it is almost acquired free of charge by the seller himself.

Criticism

It is often criticized on the sales methods that operators of second- hand shops with the sale of donated used clothing have a huge competitive advantage over conventional, domestic clothing producers. In Tanzania, 80,000 of which have been mined in the textile industry as a result.

Michael Okema, Tanzanian political scientist and publicist, however, argued against the fact that the problem of the Tanzanian textile industry, the flooding of the market with Mitumba would not, but to build the missing incentives for investors, even a working textile industry in Tanzania. That such a similar example in Kenya, would have been available prior to the sale of Mitumba, was an invention of European critics. In Cameroon, for example, is not available textile industry, which could independently meet the domestic demand for clothing, especially for modern clothing, which is popular among young people.

The argument that lost many jobs in the domestic textile industries through trade with Mitumba, can also be invoked against that just caused by this trade jobs. For example, it is often necessary to leave the old clothes of Schneider companies subsequently adjust, since the average dress size in developed countries is often greater than in developing countries. Also living on the International Trade in Mitumba numerous local retailers, who buy the products on the market and sell yourself again.

As a further advantage of the second-hand clothing is also stated that they would have, despite their lower selling price, a far better quality than clothing, which is produced by the clothing manufacturers in developing countries. In addition, is also alleged that the target groups of second- hand clothing and home fabricated goods would not be the same. The demand for Mitumba is therefore especially in the upper class, which wants to wear personal clothing as possible.