Some people in Douala buy the cloth, go for sewn ‘kabas,’ or are waiting for the D-Day to buy at cheaper cost.

As the countdown to the celebration of the 2015 International Woman’s Day narrows, women in cosmopolitan Douala are equally rushing for the fabric in order to identify with their peers in the country on March 8. At the Douala Central Market, the six-yard fabric is sold at FCFA 7,000, with traders making profit of FCFA 200 per fabric.

During Cameroon Tribune’s brief stay at the market, reporters noted that those buying the fabric were lesser than those going in for sewn ‘kabas.’ The prices of the outfit for adults ranged from FCFA 3,500 to FCFA 7,500, depending on the design and the amount of material used. It cost between FCFA 1,000 and FCFA 3,000 for children.

Though buying sewn kaba is still early according to some, many think that it is better to buy and preserve than to wait for rush hour which comes with hike in prices. Alice N. who came shopping, revealed that sewn kabas are better since most dress-makers have joined technicians who either steal part of the cloth or keep postponing collection appointments. She suggested that taking a fabric to a tailor is more expensive than buying an already sewn kaba. Another woman who came to compare prices with those of last year said she will buy either on the eve or on the D-Day because prices should have dropped drastically by then.

At CICAM’s sales point in Akwa, Douala, the yellow and brown colours of the fabric are displayed at the front shelf for easy notice. Most buyers for the moment are individuals, a business woman who sells just in front of the sales point revealed. Though officials of the sales point did not wish to respond to comment, the business woman added that sales were better than last year. Last year, she sold a six-yard fabric at FCFA 7,500, but now, she is selling at FCFA 7,000, making a profit of just FCFA 200.