In the heart of the world’s largest secondhand clothing market, an innovative social enterprise is reshaping the global conversation on fashion waste and sustainability. Kantamanto Social Club, co-founded by Anabel Poh and Daan Sonnemans, is leading a mission to give discarded textiles a second life and redirect them from West African landfills back to the Global North—as high-value, upcycled fashion.
Operating from Accra’s Kantamanto Market, the venture supports a vibrant community of over 30,000 individuals—retailers, tailors, recyclers, and designers—who collectively recirculate more than 25 million secondhand garments monthly. Yet with an estimated 15 million garments arriving from Europe and North America each week, nearly 40% end up as waste due to irreparable damage or stains.
Kantamanto Social Club, born out of a residency with sustainability nonprofit The Or Foundation, aims to challenge the absurdity of overproduction through upcycled designs and awareness campaigns. “We wanted to show the irony of the system by selling these garments at a premium,” said co-founder Sonnemans, referring to the club’s debut London exhibition featuring bleached denim kimonos and Marvel-print jackets.
While still in its early stages, the project reinvests profits into the local community and collaborates with eight designers, with expansion on the horizon. Communication often occurs through WhatsApp, and garments are transported via a “suitcase trade” method to maintain a low carbon footprint.
The project’s urgency became even more apparent after a devastating fire on January 1 destroyed 60% of the market, killed two people, and displaced over 10,000 vendors—including several partners of the Social Club. Despite the loss, the initiative is pressing forward, strengthening ties and continuing to advocate for a circular textile future.
“We believe communities like Kantamanto must lead the charge toward a regenerative fashion system,” said Sonnemans. “They live the reality of our global waste problem—and they deserve a seat at the table.”
