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.
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.
