Mambo
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Sydney surf and art-inspired casualwear brand.
Mambo can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and India earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in Bangladesh, China and India.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are Caprice Australia Pty's countries across all its brands; Mambo doesn't say where its own products are made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Pakistan | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Mambo clothing is made by independent suppliers for its owner Caprice Australia, whose 182 registered factories are mostly in China, with a small number in India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh; no factory list or country shares are published. Caprice requires a third-party ethical sourcing audit before onboarding and at least every two years, runs some unannounced audits and offers workers an email whistleblower line, but it reports no audit findings, does not disclose cotton sourcing regions and has no living wage commitment beyond local legal wages.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Caprice Australia's FY2026 modern slavery statement: 182 registered supplier factories, mostly in China, with a few in India, Pakistan, Vietnam and Bangladesh; 512 audits in FY2026 across its programme. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Caprice Australia is not scored in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; Baptist World Aid's Good Shopping Guide rates it B- and notes its products are made in China. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Caprice Australia - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Family-owned, acquired Mambo in 2019; rated B- (updated Jul 2026); products made in China
- Mambo to expand kids ranges in 2025 (Ragtrader) · search the archive · Big W is key stockist for Mambo men's, women's and kids' ranges
- Mambo Graphics - Wikipedia · search the archive · Founded 1984; acquired by Caprice Australia in July 2019
Published by Mambo or its owner
- Caprice Australia Modern Slavery Statement FY2026 · search the archive · FY2026: owns Mambo; 182 factories mostly in China plus IN, PK, VN, BD; 512 audits; random unannounced audits; whistleblower line; local legal wages
- Caprice Australia Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · FY2025: 182 registered factories mostly in China plus IN, PK, VN, BD; audits every two years; cotton flagged as a forced labour risk
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Mambo ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/mambo, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded kids and baby
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Mambo.