With the rise of resale businesses, the future of fashion is looking a lot greener, or should we rather say peachy? Yaga, a preloved buy and sell platform, is leading the resale revolution in South Africa.
Here is everything you need to know about this exciting venture!
Dubbed the Depop of Africa, Yaga launched at the end of 2019 as a marketplace platform where South Africans can safely shop and sell preloved fashion, homeware, books, tech and more - all from the comfort of their couch.
Source: Yaga
One would think a new business wouldn’t have been able to survive the pandemic, but quite the opposite proved to be true - today Yaga has a staggering number of 400 000 registered users and has helped more than 700 000 items find a new home with 5 000 new listings added every day.
It's no new news that fast fashion is one of the biggest contributors to land waste both globally and locally.
Shocking stats such that one in two people throw their unwanted garments in the trash have been reported in 2016 already. Today, it is even bleaker as the average number of times an item gets worn has decreased by 36% and more than $500 billion are lost every year due to a lack of recycling and clothing utilization according to a recent study.
Clean Clothes.org states that of the 100 billion garments that are manufactured every year, about 90 million tonnes end up in landfills in Asia and Africa. That is enough to fill up 1,5 Empire State Buildings every day!
Source: Daily Mail
Educating and spreading this information, although important, is no longer enough.
The most impactful solution will be for fast fashion retail companies to produce fewer items. This is slowly, but surely becoming a reality as resale initiatives are reported by Forbes to grow by 85.5% between 2022 and 2026. Money talks and when consumers choose to support local & sustainable businesses, retailers will have to make a change to stay competitive.
Even local retailers are catching on. Foschini was the first South African chain store to partner with Yaga in a campaign that helped educate consumers on the importance of keeping fashion circular and out of landfills. At the same time, this encouraged shoppers to open their own Yaga shops to see how easy it is to play their part in lowering CO2 emissions stemming from fast fashion.
Shopping preloved not only extends the lifespan of items. Yaga’s CEO, Aune Aunapuu, explains: “While promoting sustainable fashion, Yaga is also opening economic opportunities in the second-hand fashion industry, enabling South Africans to both save and make money on the Yaga platform.”
Yaga CEO Aune Aunapuu, source: Yaga
According to Yaga’s data, the top seller for 2022 earned more than R200 000 that year. Just think of all the clothing, shoes, books, appliances, and décor items you use once in a blue moon. It all adds up to a pretty penny…pennies that can be put to use to cover other costs like helping pay tuition fees, or help combat ever-increasing living costs.
It is reported that there are about 2.4 and 3.5 million SMMEs (small, medium and micro enterprises) in South Africa, indicating that the hustle culture is very much ingrained into our identity.
A platform like Yaga that gives buyers and sellers the peace of mind to safely exchange money for goods is a no-brainer for anybody looking to generate extra income.
Additionally, the integrated features like local payment and delivery methods, social media links and chat functionality help sellers develop important marketing, logistical and customer relation skills that can easily be translated to other entrepreneurial ventures.
Ever-changing fashion trends have led to the predicament that the fashion industry is in. But as for the trend to shop preloved, it’s one we can definitely get on board. So next time when you are looking to shop for some fresh fits for your wardrobe, why not browse on Yaga first?
It’s a win-win-win for you, the community and the planet.
Visit www.yaga.co.za to browse the latest listings or start your own Yaga shop.
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