Footwear - Leather - PPE Industry News & Articles

Durban, KZN, SA – As the economy still seems to be precariously poised due to various exogenous variables, I remain very cautious about looking into the future.The formal sector of the economy has not fared well in terms of employment as measured by Clothing Industry Bargaining Council figures (see attached chart).It appears that th ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – The NCRF has 10 members with very different approaches to all sorts of things, so a forecast is difficult.We’re keeping an eye on factors including reduced interest rates, the two-pot retirement system, and political outcomes, and there is a degree of optimism, but I’m not willing to attach any f ...more

Osmo’s AI-powered scent authentication machine in action, revolutionizing the fight against counterfeit sneakers by detecting unique chemical profiles with remarkable precision.As the sneaker resale market continues to boom, counterfeit goods remain a persistent concern for both luxury and mass-market brands. Counterfeiters have bec ...more

The French parliament has recently reduced VAT on repairs for shoes, leather goods, textiles, and bicycles from 20% to 5.5%, a move expected to support sustainability, local artisans, and potentially revitalize a declining industry. This decision, reported by World Footwear on November 6, 2024, raises questions about its potenti ...more

Japanese sportswear brand Asics is making notable progress in expanding into India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to meet the rising demand for athleisure outside major metro areas. According to Economic Times, by the end of 2024, Asics plans to operate 120 stores across the country, driven by a surge in e-commerce sales from non-m ...more

Obituary: Michael Lambrakis – Scotts Group, Frame Group, Poly-Soles, OG Footwear, Kalistos Footwear, Lambella Footwear, Andreoli Shoes, ShoePairMarket (04/04/1945-20/09/2024) ...more

By common consent, 2024 has been a difficult year for almost all businesses, organisations, government departments and people in the SA leather value chain. The main exceptions would have been successful exporters, because the domestic market has been getting poorer year after year. The underlying reasons are mostly to do with the policie ...more

The journey of BanziFeet began in 2015 with research to compare the foot measurements of German and South African children and adolescents. Research revealed significant differences in foot shape and size between the 2 groups. It also found that 91% of South African participants grew up habitually barefoot, and 67% of their school shoes w ...more

Oudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA – Newald Groenewald rejoined Ostrich Products SA (OPSA) in September as tannery manager.He started at the then Klein Karoo International in 1991 before joining OPSA as tannery manager in 2015. He joined Le Croc as tannery manager in 2021, and left there earlier this year.  ...more

The picture I get of the leather industry globally is that it is losing share in all its markets for a variety of reasons. In South Africa, the situation is compounded by cash-strapped consumers choosing cheaper alternatives. Cape Produce Company is at the beginning of the leather process, and it supplies all leather markets in SA and internationally. I asked CEO Benjy Lapiner if the picture is as bleak as I’m told. No, he said, but… ...more

Land use and land use change (LULUC) refers to the study area in general – that is the study of how global land use change (commonly through human intervention) results in increased atmospheric emissions. The obvious emission is that if the forest is burnt, the emissions are directly released into the atmosphere. However, the change ...more

IntroductionEnzymatic bating is an important part of the leather making process. Bating enzymes help remove unwanted skin components from the hide structure, as well as any scud present on the grain layer. Good bating leads to clean, soft leather. Under bating results in poor removal of unwanted skin components, and a firmer crust leather ...more

This month we are delighted to announce the beginning of a new programme, being funded by the Leather & Hide Council of America as part of the US Regional Agricultural Programme. ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (25 October 2024) – The Department of Agriculture has announced that the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, which occurred during 2021-2022, has been successfully resolved in the North West, Free State, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga Provinces. These provinces, which were initially impacted by the outbreak, have n ...more

It’s the middle-class market, not the rich, where the real money isAlthough I fully realise that luxury is a very important factor for the leather industry, I believe that we focus too much on this particular sector, and forget the day-to-day use of leather. There aren’t too many people who can afford a €100 000 bag, a &e ...more

Boksburg, Gauteng, SA – Rolfes Leather and the other 4 divisions which collectively make up the Rolfes Group have been acquired by the Solevo Group, a pan-African distributor of specialty chemicals.In a statement, Solevo said it had bought 100% of Rolfes Group in a deal backed by Solevo’s owner, London-based Development Partne ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Gert Bosch and Arné Husselman left TST Agencies earlier this year.Bosch started Bosch Technical Services (Pty) Ltd (BTS), which began trading on 01 March, servicing the tanning industry. He represents a number of principals including some formerly represented by TST.Husselman has left the industry and ...more

David Fox, Choice ClothingCape Town, W. Cape, SA - It’s been a pretty tough year for most retailers, I think – a weak Rand and cash-strapped consumers. Our Black Friday promotion will run from 21st November to 3rd December, with specials every day. The merchandise will be across the board – T-shirts, jeans, footwear. It ...more

Bubblegummers to be ‘a priority product’Durban, KZN, SA – Broadening Bata South Africa’s brand base is a priority – perhaps the priority – for country manager Lorraine Dyer, who joined in August with a background managing apparel brands including Converse and Calvin Klein.That has been the goal under su ...more

Puma’s recent decision to significantly reduce leather usage in its footwear is a clear reflection of the evolving landscape of the fashion industry, driven primarily by the preferences of the younger generation. Gen Y, Z, and Alpha, who collectively make up around 65% of the U.S. population, are increasingly pri ...more