Mitumba traders move from stalls to TikTok streams

Live TikTok sessions have become the new storefronts for sellers looking to reach thousands of viewers. From carpets to handbags and office wear, everything is streamed, sold, and shipped—sometimes internationally—and almost all of it is sourced from second-hand bales. This has not only enabled the sellers to save on paying rent but reach more customers.

Alex Kimani—known by his business name Jamal, is one of them. By sunrise, he is already deep inside Gikomba scouting for buried designer treasures under mounds of second-hand bags. Armed with a green sack and a sharp eye, he hunts for items he knows will excite his TikTok audience.

“TikTok is what built me as a brand. It’s what built this shop,” he says.

Each of Jamal’s livestreams starts and ends with a word of prayer—his way of connecting authentically with his online “family.”

He began selling with his mother in Gikomba right after finishing high school. “I started selling mitumba because of my mother. She still sells bags there (Gikomba), but I rarely take stock from her—it’s hard to pay her because she’s my mum,” he says laughing.

After a brief stint trying out graphic design, school did not work out. Jamal returned to the market and began at the bottom—as a runner.

Runners are people who source bags and try to sell them to Instagram vendors without them having to reach the market. But Jamal says, back then competition was very fierce.

“I used to text over 100 pages on Instagram trying to sell bags. Only two would respond, and sometimes none would buy,” he recalls.

Eventually, he scraped together enough to open a tiny kibanda (stall) in Kinoo. “The roof was made of a carpet. When it rained, everything got soaked. That was the hardest time of my life.”

From critic to convert

Between 2017 and 2023, he survived on razor-thin margins—until TikTok changed everything.

“I joined TikTok in 2023. My first video got 2,000 likes, and that was a big deal back then,” he says. At first, he dismissed the app, thinking it was just for women, but a group of female sellers urged him to try going live. “They told me, ‘Instead of building someone else’s business, go live.’ I waited three months, but when I finally did, I touched money I had never touched before.”

Now, Jamal sources high-quality designer bags worth over Sh100,000 in a single trip. While others go for volume, he prioritises quality.

“I have international clients, so I can’t sell anything that’s torn or worn out. I wash, fumigate, and polish the bags. I even go online to confirm authenticity—logos, codes, everything.”

He no longer relies on the open market stalls. Instead, he visits private rooms stacked with bags where he selects the bags he believes will appeal to his loyal clientele.

“I spend 3 to 4 hours checking for 'realness'. If a bag is worth Sh30,000, it must look the part.”

Still, there was a time he got too comfortable. “I started buying anything, thinking it would sell. I got complaints. One client even sent me money for fumigating the bag—it was very embarrassing.”

The most expensive bag the BDLife found at his shop was a Sh45,000 Hermès pre-used treasure—already sold and awaiting dispatch.

From banking to mitumba

Esther Kwamboka, who lives in Kisii, known online as Elsie left her banking job to sell second-hand carpets, fleece blankets, and towels—and has not looked back.

“I chose to take a risk. I felt drawn to business. I wanted to start something that could employ others,” she says.

Elsie’s business in Kisii supplies locals but also ships countrywide and internationally. “I’ve managed to employ two people and I’m praying to add two more soon,” she says.

She sources her products from a Chinese-owned warehouse on Nairobi’s Mombasa Road and Gikomba market. “Sometimes I travel to Nairobi, but nowadays I just call—they pack my bale and send it to Kisii.”

Contrary to the belief that Nairobi is the place to thrive, Elsie says Kisii is fertile ground for mitumba.

“For carpets business, Kisii is booming. We don’t have many people doing it, and customers often say, ‘We’ve never seen this here before.’”

Her online presence—especially on TikTok—has been key. “I post about 10 videos daily across all my socials, except on Saturdays. TikTok is my main investment—it’s easy to go viral if you price well and show confidence.”

She combines TikTok with WhatsApp. “I post everywhere. I’ve built a phonebook with over a thousand contacts.”

Her visibility has paid off. “I have clients in Nairobi, Kisii, Nanyuki, Nyeri—even the US and UK. I’ve shipped through DHL, and some people pick up items when flying in.”

However, she says unpredictable bale contents and high customer expectations remain a challenge.

From the market to TikTok

When the world shut down in 2020 because of Covid-19, Deborah Munywoki found herself in business. Deborah lost her job—and found her hustle.

Though she had always loved fashion, she began selling handbags before switching to women’s official clothing, which now defines her brand.

“I started with handbags, but the pandemic slowed that down. So, I opted to women’s work clothes—blazers, trousers, dresses.”

Her days start before 7am as she rushes to pick the best from freshly opened “camera” bales—top-quality pieces from imported stock.

“I go for the best. I’ve been in the game long enough to know when the bales arrive. I even get to choose before others,” she says.

She pays Sh10 per item to have them mended, then heads home to sort, tag, and price the clothes for online sale.

Her TikTok and Instagram live sessions begin around 6 pm and sometimes go until 1 am. “I’ve never had a live that runs under three hours,” she laughs.

Sales happen in real time.

In the era of tap-tap shopping and instant gratification, Kenya’s mitumba traders are not just selling old goods. They are building thriving businesses —one livestream at a time.

“Viewers just comment ‘mine’ and it’s theirs. I sell more on live TikTok because people stay, watch, and buy multiple items. TikTok made things better,” Deborah says.

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