Quick answer: Usually, no. Most donated clothing ends up sold in bulk in second-hand markets, and shipping individual boxes costs more than the clothes are worth. Clothes, shoes and books help most when a specific local partner has asked for them. Otherwise, money spent locally, or support for a family's income, goes further.
What happens to donated clothes?
Large volumes of used clothing from the US and Europe are sorted, baled and sold to traders. In Mozambique, bales of second-hand clothes are a familiar sight in markets, and selling them is a living for many informal traders (Club of Mozambique). Your donated shirt may well end up there, sold rather than given.
That trade creates income for vendors, so it isn't all bad. But it is not the direct gift most donors imagine.
Why shipping a box is rarely worth it
- Shipping costs: sending a box overseas often costs more than buying the same items locally.
- Customs and delays: parcels can be held, taxed or lost.
- Fit and need: winter coats and the wrong sizes are common in donated boxes.
- Local sellers: free goods can undercut tailors and traders who are trying to make a living.
When donating goods does help
| Goods | When it helps |
|---|---|
| Clothes and shoes | A named local school, clinic or shelter asked for specific items and sizes |
| Books | A school or library requested them, in the right language (Portuguese in Mozambique and Angola) |
| Equipment | A partner needs a specific item that is hard to buy locally |
Always ask first. If no one asked, it probably isn't needed.
What helps more
The money you would spend on shipping a box can usually do more on the ground:
- $25 buys seed for one farmer's plot in Mozambique.
- $50 adds fertilizer.
- About $150 covers a full season of seed, fertilizer and tools.
Unlike a box of clothes, a harvest pays for clothes, school fees and next year's seed.
A practical alternative for your old clothes
Sell them locally or give them to a local shelter, then donate what you would have spent on postage. You help twice: once at home and once abroad.
The bottom line
Donating clothes to Africa feels generous but rarely gets there as a gift. If you want to help families directly, support their income. Sponsor a farmer's season from $25 and receive the shop receipt and a harvest update, or read How to Donate to Africa Safely.
Sponsorships are gifts, not investments, and are not tax-deductible.
Source: Club of Mozambique: selling second-hand clothes generates income