*From Guangdong to Maputo: The Rise of Shein in Mozambique*

Written by Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Johanna von Pezold

Photography by Dilayla Romeo & Dr. Johanna von Pezold

Revisiting my favourite places and catching up with my former informants in Maputo has been not only enjoyable but also made me wonder: What has changed in the last 3 years since my PhD fieldwork here?

After interviewing Mozambican consumers, traders, designers & other fashion professionals, and also simply walking through the markets and shopping streets of Maputo, my answer would be: Shein. Shein clothes and accessories are now everywhere in this city, in small boutiques, second-hand bales, the outlets of large local fashion chains, and most importantly, in peoples’ closets.

In 2021, some Shein-labeled clothes could already be found in Mozambican stores, yet primarily as surplus items. Either rejected due to quality issues or overproduced, surplus clothes are discarded or sold on cheaply by suppliers of the Chinese fast fashion giant, and some of them ended up getting exported from Guangdong to Mozambique by Chinese entrepreneurs.

Since then, Shein has expanded its app coverage to more than 150 countries, including Mozambique. Easy to navigate and available in Portuguese, the app makes it possible for any Mozambican to order the low-cost fast fashion items of his or her dreams, at least in theory. Despite Shein‘s immense popularity among young Mozambicans, I learned that few actually order directly from the official app or website. Instead, they rely on resellers. These intermediaries (revendedores in Portuguese) collect client orders via large WhatsApp groups, group them together to save on shipping costs, pay by credit card, and then pick up the orders from Maputo airport a few weeks later, well-versed in navigating customs. Back in the city, they sort the items, maybe even repackage them nicely, and deliver them to their clients, who conveniently pay them in cash or via the mobile money service MPesa.

Being a Shein revendedor has become a popular side hustle for many Maputans, especially young women. How this phenomenon reshapes not only their economic opportunities but also the Mozambican fashion market and Chinese fashion power across Africa?