Clothes Wholesale Durban: Clothing, Shoes and Fabric

What this guide covers

1. Which categories are actually strong here
2. Sizing: why it runs small and how to check
3. What things typically cost
4. Fabric and haberdashery
1. Buying fabric without getting caught
5. Buying in packs and cartons
6. Quality checks that take ten seconds
7. Reselling clothing: margins and what moves
8. Frequently asked questions
9. Planning the trip

Clothing, shoes and fabric are among the busiest categories at Durban China City in Springfield Park. You will find basics like T-shirts, leggings and vests, plenty of kidswear, workwear-style items, socks and underwear in packs, bags, shoes and sandals, and seasonal stock that swings from beachwear in summer to tracksuits and blankets in winter.

The most useful thing to know before you go is that sizing usually runs smaller than South African chain-store sizing, often by one to two sizes. The second is that the single-item price is not the real price. Most traders work in packs, and the unit cost drops once you take six, ten or a full pack.

Fabric and haberdashery are a separate draw. Seamstresses, traditional-wear makers and matric dance parents come for fabric by the metre, netting, lace, zips, thread and trims at prices that make a made-to-measure outfit realistic on a modest budget.

Which categories are actually strong here

Not every clothing category is worth the trip. These are the ones that consistently justify it.

• Basics. Plain T-shirts, vests, leggings, tights, shorts and simple dresses, cheap enough to buy in colour runs.
• Kidswear. Probably the strongest category here. Children outgrow clothes before they wear them out, so the value calculation works in your favour.
• Workwear-style items. Conti-style suits, overalls, aprons, caps, gloves and reflective vests, good for a small crew, a car wash or a garden service.
• Socks and underwear in packs. School socks, ankle socks, boxers, briefs and vests in packs of three, six or twelve. One of the best-value buys here.
• Bags. School bags, sports bags, laptop sleeves, handbags, travel bags and shopper totes.
• Shoes and sandals. Slip-slops, sandals, canvas tackies, school shoes, slippers and takkie-style trainers.
• Seasonal stock. Beachwear, hats and sunglasses in summer, then tracksuits, beanies, fleece and blankets as the weather turns. Buy a season ahead if you can.

Where we would set expectations lower is tailored formal wear, technical sportswear and anything you need to survive five years of hard weekly use.

Sizing: why it runs small and how to check

Most stock here is sized on international charts rather than South African ones, and it is generally cut smaller and narrower than the equivalent chain-store garment. A label saying large will often fit like a South African medium, and sometimes like a small.

The table below is a rough guide only. It is not a standard, sizing varies between shops and even between batches from the same shop, and the only reliable method is a tape measure. Treat this as a starting point for which size to pick up first, not as a promise.

Three habits fix most sizing problems. Carry a soft tape measure. Keep chest, waist, hip and inside-leg measurements for everyone you buy for saved on your phone. And hold a garment against one that already fits, which you can do by wearing a well-fitting T-shirt and laying the new one over your shoulders.

What things typically cost

Rough ranges at the time of writing, before bargaining and before pack discounts. Prices move constantly, so check on the day.

Fabric and haberdashery

The fabric shops are worth a visit on their own. Expect plain and printed cottons, polycottons, satins, chiffons, netting and tulle, organza, fleece and lining, plus the trimmings that finish a garment: lace, ribbon, beaded trim, bias binding, elastic, zips, thread, buttons, press studs and interfacing.

For traditional wear, umembeso and umabo outfits, matric dance dresses and wedding parties, buying fabric here and having it made up locally is usually far cheaper than buying a finished garment. Our guide to matric dance, wedding and umembeso decor on a budget covers the decor for the same event.

Buying fabric without getting caught

1. Buy the whole job in one go. Dye lots vary. If you come back next month for two more metres, the colour may not match. Add half a metre to a metre of allowance and buy it all at once.
2. Check the width before you calculate. Fabric is sold by the metre but comes in different widths, commonly around 1.1 m or 1.4 m to 1.5 m. The same number of metres gives very different amounts of usable cloth.
3. Test for stretch and grain. Pull the fabric across and along. Know which way it gives before you cut.
4. Rub a corner with a damp white tissue. If dye lifts onto the tissue, expect colour to run in the first wash. Wash dark fabric separately.
5. Look down the roll in daylight for flaws, printing faults and colour shifts along its length.

Buying in packs and cartons

Most clothing traders price in tiers: one item, a pack, a carton. The step from single to pack is usually the biggest saving, and a pack is often six, ten or twelve of one style. Cartons are typically mixed sizes in one colourway, or one size across several colours, so ask for the exact size breakdown before you pay. A carton that turns out to be mostly small is not a bargain.

Ask three questions every time: what is in the pack, what the price becomes at the next tier, and whether you can open one to inspect it. Then read how to buy wholesale at China Mall Durban and how to bargain without being rude.

Quality checks that take ten seconds

• Seams. Pull gently across a side seam and a shoulder seam. Look for a straight, tight stitch line with no gaps, and check the overlocking inside. Loose threads everywhere means it was made in a hurry.
• Zips. Run every zip up and down twice. A zip that catches in the shop will jam in a week. Check the pull is metal or thick moulded plastic, not thin flat plastic.
• Stretch recovery. Stretch a waistband, cuff or legging knee and hold it a few seconds. It should snap back. If it stays baggy, the garment will bag out after one wear.
• Colourfastness. Rub the fabric with a damp white tissue, especially on dark or bright dyes. Colour on the tissue means colour in your wash.
• Fabric weight. Hold a T-shirt up to the light. If you can read a sign through it, it will not survive many washes.
• Shoes. Bend the sole, check whether the toe is glued or stitched, and press the heel counter to see if it holds shape.
• Bags. Check where the strap joins the body, which is where bags fail. Look for bar-tack stitching or rivets.

Our guide to spotting quality versus cheap stock goes further into how to tell a good batch from a bad one.

Reselling clothing: margins and what moves

Clothing is one of the most common reselling categories in South Africa and one of the easiest to get wrong, because unsold sizes tie up your money. Margins are decent when you buy shallow and wide rather than deep in one style.

Basics and kids’ items commonly resell at roughly two to three times the pack price at a market or on a WhatsApp status. Socks and underwear packs are lower margin per unit but move steadily. Slip-slops carry good margin in summer, and handbags and school bags carry the highest rand margin but need presentation.

What moves at Durban markets and street tables: kids’ basics, socks, underwear, leggings, slip-slops, caps, and beanies and blankets in winter. What sticks: adult formal wear, unusual colours, single odd sizes and anything trend-led that is already halfway out of fashion.

Three rules save money. Start with a small mixed order, not a carton of one style. Note every size you actually sell so the next order matches real demand. And price properly using our guide to pricing products for resale, allowing for transport, packaging and stock that never sells.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Where can I buy clothes wholesale in Durban?

Durban China City at 269 Inanda Road, Springfield Park is one of the main places to buy clothing in bulk in Durban, with shops selling basics, kidswear, workwear-style items, socks and underwear packs, bags and shoes. Most traders price in tiers, so ask what a pack or carton costs rather than only the single-item price. Trading hours are 09:00 to 17:00 daily.

Does clothing at China Mall run small?

Yes, usually. Most stock is sized on international charts and cut narrower than South African chain-store sizing, so a label marked large often fits closer to an SA small or medium. Plan to go up one to two sizes, carry a tape measure, and buy children’s clothes by height and chest rather than the age printed on the label.

Can I try clothes on at China Mall Durban?

Often not. Many shops are packed with stock and have no fitting room, so measuring is the reliable approach. Take a soft tape measure, keep everyone’s measurements on your phone, and hold a garment against one that already fits. Ask about the exchange policy before paying, because opened packs and worn items are hard to return.

How much does fabric cost per metre at China Mall Durban?

As a rough guide at the time of writing, plain fabric runs about R30 to R90 a metre, netting and tulle about R25 to R70, and lace or beaded trim from around R60 to R250 depending on the design. Full rolls are cheaper per metre. Check the fabric width before calculating how much you need.

Is China Mall Durban good for traditional wear and matric dance fabric?

Yes. The fabric shops carry satins, chiffons, organza, netting, lace and beaded trim, plus zips, thread, elastic and buttons, which makes buying fabric and having an outfit made locally much cheaper than buying it finished. Buy all the fabric for one outfit in a single visit, because dye lots vary between deliveries.

What clothing sells best at markets in South Africa?

Kids’ basics, socks, underwear packs, leggings, slip-slops, caps, and beanies and blankets in winter tend to move fastest, because they are low-price repeat purchases. Adult formal wear, unusual colours and single odd sizes tend to sit. Buy shallow and wide across sizes rather than deep in one style until you know what your customers actually buy.

How do I check clothing quality before buying in bulk?

Open one item from the pack and check five things: seam stitching and overlocking, whether zips run smoothly twice, whether stretch waistbands snap back, whether dye lifts onto a damp white tissue, and how much light passes through the fabric. If the sample fails two of those, the carton will too. Ask before opening anything.

Planning the trip

Go on a weekday morning, bring your measurements and a shopping bag or two, and leave time to compare a few shops before committing to a pack. For school clothes, socks and bags, buy early rather than in the January rush and read our back to school shopping guide.

Plan your visit to Durban China City