S & V Publications

SV Q&A With David Cohen, CEO of Superbalist Group of CompaniesQ. Please confirm the acquisition, including when it took place.A. We recently acquired The Athlete’s Foot South Africa in September 2025; we’re really excited about it. It’s a strong, well-loved brand and it fits into what we’re building across the ...more

In the Americas, the shoe brand has recently expanded to Shop Simon and Walmart, with Target joining the line up in December.Clarks is doubling down on its digital presence with a number of new launches on online marketplaces around the world.And some of the U.K.-based footwear company’s new partners, including Shein, TikTok Shop, W ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – SAFLIA is to have a change of executive director next year when Jirka Vymĕtal retires after a handover period to Zamani Oliphant.Vymĕtal joined SAFLIA in March 2014. He said the aim was to retire by end April to ensure “a smooth and thorough handover”.Oliphant, who is an attorney, will start on 01 Feb ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – In response to “one of the most persistent and damaging waves of foot and mouth disease (FMD) the country has seen in decades”, the Department of Agriculture plans to vaccinate the entire national cattle herd, according to a press release on 26 November.FMD affects the leather value chain because ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – FINALLY, someone (SAFLEC in this case) has seen the light. From DAY 1, I have been at pains to explain to people that a "blanket" system to the tariff structure makes zero sense. The HS system has to be used. e.g. I can import alligator skins (raw / crust or dyed finished) at 0% duty from the US ...more

Mossel Bay, W. Cape, SA – Around 20% of our ostrich leather sales are destined for the USA. Our clients use the leather to manufacture exotic leather cowboy boots. Because our clients in the USA cannot buy the ostrich leather from local (USA) tanneries, we feel that this raw material should be exempted from tariffs.  ...more

Pinetown, KZN, SA – BBF Safety Group (Pty) Ltd has appointed Ndlela Mazibuko as MD, effective 01 November 2025. He will work alongside the BBF Safety Group CEO, Brian Kuhnert, together with the Beier Group CEO, Warren Sachs, “in growing the customer centric focus of the business”, according to a release.  ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Fashion group Dangee Carken is launching a PPE division.An initial range of imported safety footwear and locally made workwear, branded GrittGear, will launch in October.Director Robby Stoller said the group had been working on the project for over 6 months. He said an industry specialist would be joining ...more

The application to resurrect 4Tify Africa – formerly North Safety – and other subsidiaries of African Boomerang Holdings, was withdrawn following the death in March of former CEO Craig Garvie, attorney Kobus van Niekerk, of JI van Niekerk Inc., has confirmed.“The business rescue applications were withdrawn,” he wro ...more

Randburg, Gauteng, SA – Tifosi Sports “will be looking to establish a relationship with a meaningful international sports brand” when Swiss running shoe brand On moves to a new distributor in January, CEO Nick Zografos said last week. “We’re in discussions with a number of them.”Tifosi Sports has repres ...more

Goleta, California, USA (23 October 2025) – Hoka grew by 11.1% to US$634.1 million and Ugg grew by 10.1% to $759.6 million in Deckers Brands’ second fiscal quarter ended 30 September, the company announced.Sales of its ‘other brands’, now mainly Teva and Ahnu following the phase-out of its Koolaburra operations, de ...more

This is the peak season for retailers to stock school shoes, the unglamorous staple which underpins so much of the SA footwear industry. Palm Footwear is one of the most successful school shoe suppliers, and here MD Rajeev Pattundeen answers our questions about what consumers expect and retailers need from this category, and what the future holds. ...more

There are a number of legal instruments working their way through the European Union’s (EU) parliament. Like many EU instruments, these statutory guides have a way of working their way into legislation that the rest of the world adopts. Like US legislation, especially the California Proposition 65 legal example, these laws sometimes ...more

As per coincidence, the day that S&V published the October Pill about the Development Aid which was focussed on the results obtained by UNIDO in Ethiopia, I was able to access a document published by UNIDO on their website called "Independent Evaluation of LEATHER INITIATIVE FOR SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT CREATION (LISEC) &ndash ...more

On more than one occasion I have reported on brands being caught using illegal labour in their supply line. From what I understand several brands regularly, but indirectly, use illegal labour and of course always deny their knowledge of this happening. The problem is that everybody knows and nobody can prove this because the brands buy fr ...more

IntroductionThere are substantial ambiguities and debates about the definition of a “Competent Person” when assigning legal appointments and responsibilities for supervision, oversight, and management of key tasks. These are outlined in the Construction Regulations (2014) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of (1993). Va ...more

Today’s modern healthcare facilities have, respectfully, moved beyond bricks, mortar and medical equipment to now include infrastructure that embeds intelligence and resilience, providing the foundation for safer, smarter and patient-centric healthcare environment.In fact, the medical industry is making truly remarkable gains when i ...more

ProFit Safety Footwear national sales manager Nick Bryant was asked on his 45th birthday (20th of August) whether he still enjoys what he does for a living. “Absolutely. I love it. I live for it,” he replied. “And as for how… well, like most things in life, you need to have a serious passion for it… and an ...more