Footwear Industry Articles
- SAFLIA AGM: ‘Opposition to unfairness of collective bargaining drove SAFLIA membership drop’In an implicit question mark over the future of collective bargaining in the South African footwear manufacturing industry, the Southern African Footwear & Leather Industries Association lost many of its members, most of them SMMEs, at the beginning of 2023.“…they believe our wage rates in the footwear industry have grown ...moreThe rise and rise of Veldskoen as it seeks to double turnoverCape Town, W. Cape, SA – When they started, in 2016, they had no footwear background at all. By last year, they were responsible for between 13% and 18% of SA’s footwear exports by pairs, and probably at least as much by value.Anyone who knows much about SA’s footwear exports will know the reference is to Veldskoen (Pty) ...morePuma’s partnership with basketball star crumbles under pressurePuma's major breakup with a basketball star is a story of social media stardom, Tesla drive-by drama, courtroom proceedings, and some lessons we can take home. ...moreWorld Shoe Ghana plans to step into the global footwear arenaIn the competitive world of footwear, a relatively unknown company has emerged — ‘World Shoe’ — and is establishing its first factory in Ghana. The move is part of its ambitious plan to manufacture over five million shoes annually, with a commitment to producing affordable, durable, environmentally friendly footwea ...moreWe lost a staff member, the world lost a good personObituary: Misheck Sibanda – G&D Shoes, Footwear & Rubber Industries, The Courteney Boot Company (08/08/1961-18/09/2023) ...morePort problems: Sort it out or your ‘Masterplan’ will fail, retailers warn governmentCape Town, W. Cape, SA - “It’s a matter of record that there are 70 000 delayed containers, and that some retailers have resorted to airfreighting in stock,” said National Clothing Retail Federation executive director Michael Lawrence. “Retailers will somehow make it through Christmas, but the problem is getti ...moreLocal production up in 2022, but ‘Masterplan has failed footwear’Contrary to expectations, SA footwear manufacturing in 2022 rose by 20% over 2021 from 51 119 332 pairs to 61 334 614 pairs. The bulk of the increase was made up of cheap constructions such as flip flops, executive director Jirka Vymětal said.Noting the apparently worsening youth unemployment in SA, which he called &l ...moreTech Fund: Footwear manufacturers to pay full levy again after long ‘holiday’, NBCLI levy holiday to last another yearAll SA footwear manufacturers will again pay full contributions to the Footwear Industry Technological Fund – the statutory monthly levy based on a percentage of weekly wages paid – from January 2024. A 3-year payment ‘holiday’ between July 2020, at the beginning of the covid crisis, and June this year, was replace ...moreSA footwear & accessories trade statistics for September 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (31 October 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (10 870 466 163)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.21Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (1 384 720 209)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.21ExportsMonth % of total 0.21Cumulative 2022 (R'm) ...moreHello Quality: An accidental purchase leads to a new business with big ideasCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Horse riding is mostly an elite activity, and it comes with specialised requirements – it’s not an industry you stumble into by chance.Not usually, anyway.In 2014, former Zimbabwean Pardon Gwenzi was running a bar at a golf club in Greenpoint, and with the cold Cape winter approaching, he and his ...more© S&V Publications