Aso-ebi is a uniform fabric worn by family and friends to show unity and support during special events such as weddings or burials. However, a common issue is that many people struggle to find rewear value in these outfits, even though they aren’t fast fashion. As a result, they often keep them until they no longer fit or end up discarding them, contributing to fashion’s growing waste problem.
To address this problem, Vynt, a social commerce marketplace that simplifies the buying and selling of pre-owned fashion items, has launched to promote thrifting—which it calls “vynting” as a sustainable alternative to disposal and hoarding.
“Our goal is to give pre-loved items a second lover and another chance at life,” Tolu Okoya-Thomas, Vynt CEO, said.
Since the launch of its mobile app in March 2025, Vynt has rapidly gained traction, attracting close to 2,000 users. Vynt provides a community-driven experience, where users not only shop but can engage with friends, influencers, and fellow fashion lovers, creating a space that feels familiar and engaging like a social media platform.
The social commerce platform started from Okoya-Thomas’s personal need: “I was hoarding clothes I no longer wore, either because the trend had passed or my style had changed.”
When she moved from the UK to Nigeria, she noticed there wasn’t a platform like Depop, a UK-based platform that sells thrift items efficiently. She started selling clothes on Instagram, and the response was great. She realised the demand for a structured, digital resale platform.
The fashion industry is one of the major contributors of waste globally, with the textile sector generating around 10% of greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of wastewater. The rise of fast fashion has further accelerated this issue, with rapidly changing trends and consumers discarding old items in favor of new ones. While pre-loved fashion has always been a part of Nigerian culture, it’s typically been informal and lacked a structured way for people to easily list items they no longer needed without going to the market. Vynt was created to fill that gap.
Vynt serves as the middleman between buyers and sellers to verify that all items, whether clothes, shoes, or accessories, are in good, wearable condition, a process that is key to building trust. “Once an item is sold, Vynt arranges pickup or offers a convenient drop-off option at the Vynt hub,” Thomas-Okoya said.
It also provides seamless logistics, allowing buyers to track items bought in real time from payment to delivery. With escrow payments, buyers are fully protected from fraud; sellers only receive payment once the buyer confirms satisfaction.
“We do not accept counterfeit or inauthentic luxury items,” she said.
Currently, the selling feature is available only in Lagos due to the focus on maintaining quality assurance. However, buyers can purchase from anywhere in Nigeria, and Vynt will handle the logistics to the buyer’s location safely and efficiently.
What truly sets Vynt apart is its mission to educate users about the impact of their fashion choices, both on the environment and on their finances, while also being a place for that to happen. It also addresses social inequality by offering fashion to people from different backgrounds. Additionally, it provides a platform for individuals to thrive financially by selling personal used items or thrift items.
“They don’t need to have their own clothes to sell; anyone can buy clothes from places like ‘Bend Down Select’, the local thrift market, and resell them on Vynt,” Thomas-Okoya said.
We are also helping brands with old stock and old inventory, giving them a profitable way to declutter and reach a broader audience.
Vynt’s ambition is to become a household name across Africa.
“I want people to say casually, ‘Did you Vynt that? ‘” We want to be pioneers of circular economies, empowering people financially and providing a platform for them to engage in sustainable social commerce,” Thomas Okoya said.
