Africa-Press – South-Africa. Johannesburg may be dotted with fancy shopping malls advertising the slickest new fashion, but for two women, nothing beats the nostalgia and thrill of finding and holding onto a special preloved item.
Kgaogelo Sekgobela and Boiketlo Favor Moyo believe looking fashionable doesn’t come down to wearing new clothes or expensive brands.
The two women have an impeccable fashion sense and have inspired hundreds of their social media followers to look no further than thrifting stalls in the Joburg city centre for timeless, high-quality fashion gems.
Sekgobela told News24 her stance on fashion was “expensive taste, low budget”.
She said she was not new to thrift clothing.
Growing up, she and her siblings wore preloved clothes their mother bought from thrifting spots known as “dunusa” in Wanderers Street, near the MTN taxi rank and Park Station.
This skill came in handy for her as a young adult when she realised her love for fashion.
Sekgobela said:
She made a trip to the city centre to look for her mom’s old shopping spots.
“When I found ‘dunusa’, I felt like I was in heaven. I felt like I belonged there.”
Moyo experienced something similar, saying:
“Dunusa” means to bend down.
It is a common sight among buyers and sellers in the Joburg CBD.
Moyo said she did not mind the term because it was authentic to the experience.
“Some people call it ‘Dubai’, and I’ve always known it as ‘dunusa’. I feel like they’re removing the authenticity of the shopping experience. You bend a lot and go through a pile of clothing to get the best fit for you,” she added.
But there are downsides to being out in the open in the Joburg CBD, as opposed to inside a shopping mall.
The area is notoriously unsafe, as both Sekgobela and Moyo found out.
Moyo’s phone was stolen from her bag while going through a clothing pile.
She said:
Sekgobela was also mugged.
She told New24 she was fine after the incident because she was unhurt.
The criminals were sleek about it, she said.
“I was walking, and they cut my bag from underneath. They caught my belongings in their plastic bag. I only noticed later that I had been mugged.”
The experiences, however, have not deterred both women from going after the cheapest finds with price tags of between R3 and R5.
“The most expensive item I got was a handbag for R100,” said Moyo.
Sekgobela admits thrifting takes skill, saying buyers have to be open to options.
She added:
Moyo is also exploring the business side of preloved clothing.
She said people were willing to buy the clothes without the hard work of sifting through piles and piles.
“I wasn’t sure if it would work for me. I wish I started a long time ago. I would be rich now. People buy. There is money to be made here. I recently shipped a jacket to a customer in Cape Town. I also sell the items online,” Moyo added.
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