African Brooms Are Having An Online Moment

It’s not unusual to find everyday products that are overpriced because they’re branded “made from natural sources,” “organic” or “handmade in small batches.” But an African broom, essentially a bunch of stripped palm fronds, priced at $14.99? It has all the makings of a good joke, except it isn’t.

This eBay listing for an “authentic handmade African broom” is all the proof you need. In contrast, a listing on a Nigerian online store offers a similar broom for 28 cents. All things (including import duties) considered, the price difference is unjustifiable.

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But it gets even pricier.

A search for ‘African broom’ on eBay’s UK website reveals brooms that cost up to $350, just shy of the $380 a pair of vintage Ivorian brooms were reportedly going for on the e-commerce store in 2017.

It appears African brooms, a cleaning staple in homes across the continent for centuries, have a bright, overpriced future elsewhere.

Author

  • Abdulateef Ahmed

    Abdulateef Ahmed, Digital News Editor and; Research Lead, is a self-driven researcher with exceptional editorial skills. He's a literary bon vivant keenly interested in green energy, food systems, mining, macroeconomics, big data, African political economy, and aviation..

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