BBF: Championing local manufacturing in workplace safety solutions
Published: 14th Jan 2022

BBF continues to diversify with the intention of covering the full range of PPE. Currently it includes work wear, head and hand protection, and fall arrest equipment.
Pinetown, KZN, SA - BBF Safety Group is an integrated workplace safety solutions provider that helps customers create safe working environments. BBF was formed on the basis of championing local manufacturing, procurement and SMME development – an objective more relevant now to get the South African economy back on its feet than possibly any other time in this country’s history.
How it Began
In 2014, four of South Africa’s largest safety footwear manufacturers joined forces to create BBF Safety Group (Pty) Ltd. The merger created the largest safety footwear manufacturer in Africa.
Since then BBF has transitioned to being an integrated workplace safety solutions provider now offering a full portfolio of head-to-toe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and SHEQ services including training.
It employs more than 1,200 people at 4 ISO:9001 accredited manufacturing facilities across the country.

BBF Safety Group\'s range includes among the best known safety footwear brands in SA.
The Portfolio
BBF’s safety footwear portfolio incorporates renowned brands such as Lemaitre, Frams, Sisi and South Africa’s market-leading Bova range. Wayne gumboots, as part of the portfolio, is one of Africa’s leading gumboot manufacturers and has serviced the South African market for 80 years and counting.
BBF also manufactures work wear, fall arrest systems and specialized thermal protection wear, while the Nikki brand of hard hats and face masks is well-established in the head and respiratory protection categories. As an entity BBF is able to supply solutions throughout the various PPE categories, actively working to industrialise and localise ranges as far as possible.

The Nikki brand includes hard hats and face masks.
Industrialisation, Transformation & Development
BBF Safety Group’s mission has been to ensure economic empowerment, transformation and development in South Africa, forging partnerships with local SMMEs both upstream and downstream of the supply chain to create a network of highly committed, professional and efficient local suppliers and distributors.
It will continue to strive to service the safety needs of industries both domestically and abroad, while playing its part to drive the South African economy; through both its own manufacturing and services, as well as the suppliers and business partners with whom it works. - www.bbfsafety.com, info@bbfsafety.com, +27 (0)31 710 0400
Tags: BBF Safety, Transformation
Footwear Industry Articles
- Ken Riches: Reflections on an extraordinary life: Those who can, do – those who can do it even better, teachIt’s been 18 years this month since Ken Riches died. Here is a glimpse into what lay under that fairly protective exterior.Ken Riches, one of our country’s true footwear experts, passed peacefully on to that final production line in the sky on 11 August 2008. He had lived through the rapidly changing times from just after the ...moreBova Socks: The PPE layer that works inside the bootIn demanding work environments, safety footwear plays a critical role in helping workers manage workplace risks. However, the sock worn inside the boot also influences comfort, hygiene, fit and overall performance throughout the shift. This makes Bova’s sock range an essential part of a complete PPE solution.Bova high-performance so ...moreNew generation nonwoven components lead the way towards biodegradable shoesCompostable and biodegradable footwear is becoming a reality.The nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation GmbH in Hürth, Germany, has published an updated version of its poster, 'Biodegradable Polymers in Various Environments', and project manager Kristijan Mršić told Shoes & Views that several of ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- The leather value chain offers opportunities for all SADC countriesThe Southern African Regional Leather Network (SARLEN) and the SADC Leather Forum present a great opportunity for the development of the leather value chains (LVCs) in all or most SADC states, whose LVCs are at different stages of development.in Zimbabwe we already have a well-structured LVC coordinated by an apex body, the Zimbabwe Leath ...moreFifteen million sheep in the UK to share among shearersAccording to the UK government, its sheep population decreased over the past year by 1.7% but that still leaves a flock of over 30 million. For comparison, the domestic flock in South Africa numbers about 21 million and New Zealand has some 23 million. Australia, with more than 70 million, has a wool clip of approximately 325,000 tonnes. ...moreSADC Leather Forum unites 16 member states to strengthen the regional leather industryThe Southern African Development Community’s Regional Leather Forum met in Durban, South Africa, in August. Nerisha Jairaj and Jacob Nyathi explain different aspects. ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- RealPPE Marketplace: Where safety meets smarter procurementRealPPE Marketplace is a 100% black women-owned B2B PPE marketplace built for South African industry. Founded after years of witnessing safety officers and procurement teams lose time to fragmented suppliers, inconsistent pricing, and missing documentation, RealPPE was created to bring structure and reliability to industrial PPE sourcing. ...moreFurther controls over the import of safety footwear are on the wayOn 03 August 2026, the Safety Footwear Working Group, led by SAFLIA, submitted a request to Minister Tau (dtic) for interim import control measures in respect of specified safety footwear. The request was strongly supported by organised labour and other industry stakeholders.The application was further strengthened by contributions f ...moreNew OHS regulations coming into force later this year mean PPE needs to be reviewed, tooIn March 2025, the Physical Agents Regulations (and their guidelines) and the Noise Exposure Regulations (and their guidelines) of the OHSAct were published, with an 18-month time-period promulgation date to September 2026, allowing employers time to upgrade their Health & Safety requirements to comply with the new published regulatio ...more
© S&V Publications






