A devastating fire broke out at Ghana’s Kantamanto Market in the early hours of 2 January, leaving thousands of clothing recycling and upcycling businesses displaced — and thrusting fashion’s lack of alternative waste handling options back into the spotlight.
The secondhand clothing market — which is the largest in West Africa and believed to be among the biggest in the world — has been “decimated” by the fire, according to Ghanaian-American non-profit The Or Foundation, which is supporting with relief efforts on the ground.
Per The Or Foundation, there are more than 30,000 traders operating in Kantamanto Market. Market leadership have informed the non-profit that around 8,000 of those have been affected by the fire, and its volunteers on the ground estimate that at least 10 of the 13 market sections have sustained “catastrophic damage”.
This isn’t the first time a fire has broken out in the market — it has become an almost annual occurrence, albeit not quite on this scale. As Vogue Business previously reported, the ad-hoc construction that enabled the market’s rapid expansion has left it unstable and prone to fires. It is also unprotected from heavy rains, meaning that flooding routinely shuts the market down.
Some of Kantamanto’s global-facing upcyclers have begun sharing footage and statements on social media. Yayra Agbofah, founder of The Revival, which creates new clothing out of textile waste from Kantamanto Market, posted videos of the scenes on Instagram, estimating that over 2,500 shops and stalls have been “burnt to ashes”, and writing “all we have left is bare ground”. Non-profit Upcycle It Ghana said its shop was engulfed by the flames and added: “This tragic incident has wiped out years of hard work and robbed many of their vital source of livelihood.”
In a time when fashion has woefully few functioning waste handling solutions, the potential impact of losing Kantamanto Market cannot be overstated. The Or Foundation estimates that the market receives 15 million pieces of discarded clothing each week, much of it from the Global North. It says the market’s traders are responsible for recirculating 25 million secondhand items every month through resale, reuse, repair and remanufacturing.
Thanks to The Or Foundation’s awareness-raising and activism — as well as its controversial decision to accept funding from ultra-fast fashion brand Shein in 2022 — Kantamanto Market has become a globally recognised symbol of the secondhand clothing trade. Images of its repair and upcycling efforts, and the unusable textile waste clogging its beaches and polluting its waters, have been shared around the world. Insights from its retailers have been used to lobby the European Union on its extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulation.
In the immediate term, The Or Foundation says it has committed $1 million to emergency relief efforts. The organisation is hoping to double its commitment by coordinating further public fundraising. Funds are being used to haul debris and support a community-led clean-up effort, as well as offering immediate assistance to anyone injured by the fire (local news organisation My Joy Online has reported one fatality, but this has not been confirmed). The Revival founder Yayra Agbofah, who lost storage space in the fire, is also raising funds to support fellow traders. “The official response to the fire has been inadequate, leaving many to fend for themselves. The government needs to step up with tangible support and better disaster preparedness for the future,” he tells Vogue Business.
In a rundown of its response during the first 24 hours, The Or Foundation shared to Instagram that it had met with market leadership multiple times to assess priorities, dispatched a dozen team members to survey the damage and speak with retailers, paid for three trucks to help clear debris, and notified the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association (GUCDA, the local used clothing importers’ association) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly of its efforts thus far. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly told Vogue Business it plans to issue a statement in due course. GUCDA said it is “heartbroken” by the fire, adding: “The community has weathered challenges before and we believe it will rise again. We humbly appeal to the government, corporate organisations, non-profits and compassionate individuals [to help] rebuild this iconic market.”
The Or Foundation creative director Daniel Mawuli Quist, whose fashion accessories business De Forty Five relies on Kantamanto Market, is keen to highlight the resilience of the market’s traders, as well as the importance of rebuilding quickly. “Kantamanto’s model of reusing and recycling clothing offers a powerful example of sustainable fashion in action, highlighting the potential for local initiatives to drive global change,” he said in a statement to Vogue Business. “This is a critical moment for the global fashion ecosystem to show solidarity, not just by recognising the value of secondhand markets, but by providing tangible help to rebuild and sustain them, which provides a lifeline for both the local community and the broader push for a more circular, ethical and resilient fashion economy.”
Luxury resale platform Vestiaire Collective, which has an ongoing partnership with The Or Foundation, says it is mobilising its community to support fundraising efforts. “We are deeply saddened by the devastating fire at Kantamanto Market, a hub that represents both the challenges and the opportunities for sustainable fashion,” says Vestiaire Collective chief impact officer Dounia Wone. “Now more than ever, this tragedy reminds us of the urgent need to rethink how the global fashion system works.”
This story was updated with additional statements of support. (06/01/2025)
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