After a Devastating Fire, Traders in Ghana’s Kantamanto Market Unite Under a New Association KOBA

When a huge part of Kantamanto, one of the largest second-hand clothing markets in the world, was razed in a fire this January, it not only set back hundreds of traders who rely on the market for their livelihood, but it also revealed the lack of structure and systems within the operations of the market.

“The fire affected me so much. My rough estimate of losses is about GHS 70,000 ($5,600),” Eric Baah, a trader who specializes in stockings and varieties of leggings and jeans, tells OkayAfrica. “I’ve only been able to return to work through the support of family and friends, on a loan basis. A few financial institutions have also provided loans, but with huge interest. We don’t have many options — you need to work to take care of yourself, so you have to take those loans.”

After the fire, traders also found themselves unable to access insurance as their stalls, made from wood, didn't often qualify for coverage. Other people who work in the market, including load carriers known as “Kayayes,” creatives and designers, were also left without adequate protection or support. While organizations like the Or Foundation and The Revival have been actively providing on-ground support, it was clear that the market needed to bounce back with a better structure and a united front.

And this is exactly what a new market association in Kantamanto is looking to do. On August 26, the Kantamanto Obroniwawu Business Association (KOBA) officially launched as a body designed to unify Kantamanto Market and all of its 13 sections. KOBA is the first association that represents the interests of the 13 market sections, which are filled with secondhand clothing traders, footwear retailers, upcyclers, tailors, hairdressers, and other businesses operating in Kantamanto.

The association was developed in partnership with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and The Or Foundation, an environmental non-profit with strong ties to Kantamanto, and was at the forefront of supporting traders and rebuilding efforts after the fire.

“Because we have different associations, we thought that was not proper for us, and that we needed a common front,” Adutwum Manu, General Secretary of KOBA, told OkayAfrica a few weeks after KOBA’s launch. “We came together to form an association which will have one voice, so that everybody will hear our voice.”

Daniel Mawuli Quist, the Creative Director at The Or Foundation, which also provided $75,000 in funding to support the new association, says most of the work went into convincing the traders to shift from an individualistic to a more centralized focus. Quist shared that to bring traders and stakeholders around, the foundation facilitated meetings with several authorities and bodies to emphasize the need for a unified front.

“A lot of props go to all the leaders who really understood the urgent need,” Quist says. “The Railway Police Authority came to educate them about the need for a plan. The Ghana Fire Service also came in to let them know how important it is to come together and have a plan that allows for buildings to be sound, and take into account how every flow of the market can allow for interventions from any security or preventative authorities.” 

After agreements were reached, elections were held, and 12 core executives were put in charge of the operations, in addition to 33 other members of the leadership team.

An inside push

According to Manu, traders in Kantamanto have been pushing for a unified front long before KOBA became a conversation. “It’s amazing. We were splintered, and everybody was saying different things. The importers had taken advantage of us not being together to speak on our behalf internationally and locally.” 

The news was even more welcome to market women who, Manu says, were elated at the news of KOBA’s launch. “They said that we have done very well because now if they have a case or a problem, we'll be able to speak on their behalf, and because we have one common front, our voices will be heard.”

“When I first heard about KOBA, I was happy because I believed they could help us,” Andromena Ofori, one of Kantamanto’s market women, explained. “I saw it as a good step in helping us with a lot of the problems we are facing in the market — especially the poor quality of the products we get in our bales.”

Manu says KOBA’s next urgent goal is to make sure traders remain and thrive in their business. Manu cited the recent trend of the import of subpar textiles and clothing, which have been unsellable for most retailers, thus costing them money. 

“The main issue is the waste in clothing. Sometimes you open a bale and it’s full of waste,” says trader Baah. “When that happens, the importer will say they’ve already paid for it and there’s nothing they can do. I would like KOBA to speak to the importers about how they can support sellers who receive a lot of waste in their bales. And in general, importers should just bring in good products — we shouldn’t have to accept bad ones just so we can go back and ask for discounts.” And this is a consensus shared by many of the traders, OkayAfrica spoke with.

With Ghana’s economy still finding stability, the Kantamanto fire dealt a blow to the once vibrant market. This, as many see it, is a chance to start anew, while avoiding the pitfalls that affected the market in the past. Ultimately, traders in Kantammato are hoping that KOBA becomes an institution that protects their interests. Baah suggests that KOBA could facilitate financial support to further help traders still recovering from the fire. “It shouldn’t be limited to just fire relief,” Baah says. “They should be able to collaborate with financial institutions to provide loans with good interest rates and terms of payment.”

While KOBA might still just be two months old, its members and the traders seem to share a common need: to get a strong voice and formidable representation of their most pressing interests.