Waiting for summer season to kick in

Durban, KZN, SA - "We're waiting for something to take off," said Garth Ribbink of synthetic upper materials supplier A. Greenaways (Natal). It's all dull. Summer is starting now but the build up has been slow."

Durban, KZN, SA - Sales are still quiet, said Rowan Allison, who sells for Midland Leather. "A couple of the factories are busy, some others aren't. Normally it's buzzing by now, but so far it's quieter than last year."
      He said it appeared some of the chains had ordered, but others hadn't.
      He said he also thought there were "a lot of synthetics around".

Durban, KZN, SA - Tego Footwear proprietor Mohamed Vanker said he was full to November. "We make 1 500 pairs a day, and we can fill that," he said. "Bigger factories are struggling because they're harder to fill. We're also better off because we make men's. The guys doing women's are finding it more difficult."
      He said Tego, formerly an all-leather factory, is now 95% synthetic, "because those are the price points the chains want".
      That does bring its own problems. "You have to book well in advance from China now - booking has moved from 3 to 6 months." He said Tego makes most of its other components - largely bottomstock - in house.