Redistribution of Excess Merchandise in the Retail Sector

The Clothing Bank, established in 2010 in Cape Town, addresses the dual problems of retail waste and poverty by collecting unsold or damaged clothing from corporate retailers and providing it to unemployed single mothers. Through a 24-month training programme, these women are equipped to run sustainable clothing sales businesses. As of May 2021, the initiative has diverted 13.7 million textile items from landfill and supported 229 women in Cape Town alone, who have generated R72.8 million in revenue. The model is largely self-funding, with a self-funding ratio of 89% in the 2019 financial year, and has scaled to five branches across South Africa.

• The Clothing Bank operates as a circular economy enabler by diverting textile waste from landfills and extending the life of existing products. Between its inception in 2010 and May 2021, the initiative diverted 13.7 million textile items from landfill.
• The organisation provides a structured 24-month practical and experiential programme to empower unemployed mothers to become entrepreneurs. In Cape Town, approximately 229 women were supported as of May 2021, generating R72.8 million in revenue since the program's inception.
• The model generates financial independence for its graduates, with an average monthly income of R4 245 across all regions, which is 13% higher than the South African minimum wage of R3 759.
• The Clothing Bank employs a sustainable business model where clothing is sold to entrepreneurs at a fee rather than donated, allowing it to recover most of its costs. The self-funding ratio reached 89% for the 2019 financial year.
• The model has expanded beyond its original Cape Town operations to five branches across South Africa, with entrepreneurs in these locations generating a total of R204 million since inception.

APA

GreenCape (2021). Redistribution of Excess Merchandise in the Retail Sector. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Case-study_Life-beyond-sales-rack-3.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Redistribution of Excess Merchandise in the Retail Sector. 2021. https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Case-study_Life-beyond-sales-rack-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Redistribution of Excess Merchandise in the Retail Sector |date=2021 |url=https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Case-study_Life-beyond-sales-rack-3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencape2021redistribution, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Redistribution of Excess Merchandise in the Retail Sector}}, institution = {GreenCape}, year = {2021}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Case-study_Life-beyond-sales-rack-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }