S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol80 No4 April 2017
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
Click the advert links for more info. • Download PDF
IN THIS ISSUE:
Industry Barometer
Topline Manufacturers: Very slow first half, but confidence up as orders to hold stock come in.
Kadisco Paint and Adhesive Industry: All sectors of Ethiopian footwear industry doing well.
CG Shoes: Waiting for retailers to clear old stock.
CC Leather: Feeling positive as sales improve.
Bolton Footwear: Learning from hard lessons.
C.Y. Lin: Feedback shows where to concentrate.
American Shop: Counterfeits an added problem.
Beggio’s Clothing: Where have all the foreigners gone?
Opinion: Phillip Nutt
Can you teach creativity?.
Chain Profile: Studio 88 Group
The unspoken aim is to dominate men’s branded apparel.
The Innovators: Grandt Mason
From vegan dabbler to global aspirant.
Advertisers in this Issue
Apeco (2), BBF Safety Group (OFC), Crep Protect (4), C.Y. Lin/Zäh Petite (13), Katz Footwear/Willow (6), Neptun Boot (8), Tuftex (10).
- Grandt Mason: From vegan dabbler to global aspirant
Cape Town, SA – Both as a footwear designer and as an entrepreneur, Grandt Mason has been genuinely creative in the development of his business.The company he has spent 15 years building – Grandt Mason – is a successful artisanal manufacturer of men’s and women’s comfortable fashion footwear with 3 retail out ...moreLearning from hard lessons
Jacques Pretorius, head of group sales, Bolton Footwear Cape Town, SA – Despite a tough trading period in South Africa for all fashion manufacturers and retailers, we are very optimistic about the future. We learned some hard lessons in 2016 and are now capitalizing on the growth opportunities that we have created with our newl ...moreAll sectors of Ethiopian footwear industry doing well
Saifudin Khalifa, Deputy G/M, Kadisco Paint and Adhesive Industry S.C.Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Generally the industry is developing well, particularly for the exporters. There is a forex shortage which is affecting all business in general but those companies involved in exports are faring better. What I found interesting at the ...moreFeedback shows where to concentrate
Peter Lin, proprietor, C.Y. LinCape Town, SA – We only began testing the market late last year, and the first containers only arrived in April. The feedback from customers so far is that they are selling well.Because we’re a new label, a lot of independents are on a testing stage. Customers are happy with the price points and ...moreFeeling positive as sales improve
Tom Bassage, member, CC LeatherPietermaritzburg, SA – Our turnover is up on last year – I estimate by between 10% and 15% – but I think our profitability is much the same.I think the reason for the increase has simply been that we’ve introduced some cheaper lines. Essentially, we’ve added some synthetic upper ...moreThe Studio 88 Group - The unspoken aim is to dominate men\'s branded apparelJohannesburg, SA – This article differs from all preceding articles in this series in that it was submitted to us without an interview, and with the proviso that there would be no photos of personnel. It was written in September last year. From Laurence Wernars, chairman of the Studio 88 group of companiesI thank you for your i ...moreVery slow first half, but confidence up as orders to hold stock come inCollin Pillay, member, Topline ManufacturersDurban, SA – Our turnover for the first 4 months is definitely down – by as much as 20%, and we just hope and pray that it will pick up.Some of our customers have work, but the independents are very quiet and it seems many of the chains aren’t placing orders at the moment eithe ...moreWaiting for retailers to clear old stockGerald Jason, member, CG ShoesDurban, SA – Our turnover is down compared to the same period last year.The situation is that independent retailers just don’t want to place orders at the moment because they’re sitting with stock after a poorer-than-expected Christmas season and a disastrous Easter.Most of them have told us ...moreCounterfeits an added problemMuhammad Ismail, director, American ShopPretoria, SA – I’d say our turnover is on par with last year. We service the lower end of the market and the main factors affecting our consumers are unemployment and inflation. We sell mostly brands, and we are also very badly affected by counterfeits – they sell ‘Nike&rsquo ...moreWhere have all the foreigners gone?Arvin Govind, proprietor, Beggio’s ClothingJohannesburg, SA – Turnover is down about 30%.People haven’t got money at the moment, and unemployment is a big factor.There has also been a big drop in the number of foreigners shopping here – from Botswana, Mozambique and other neighbouring states. Previously they came t ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Duty evasion, false country of origin and labelling main targets: NCC and SARS ‘sign MoU to strengthen compliance’Media statement issued jointly by the National Consumer Commission (NCC) and SA Revenue Service (SARS)Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (06 May 2026) – The National Consumer Commission (NCC) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance consumer protection against the proliferation of ...moreTshepo opens new store at Mall of Africa
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (02 June 2026) — South African fashion brand Tshepo has opened its second store at Mall of Africa.Tshepo, founded by Tshepo Mohlala in Victoria Yards 10 years ago, specialises in locally made denim jeans.“Victoria Yards remains central to Tshepo's identity, serving as the bran ...moreVermont sale completedJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA – After 39 years, former owner Mandy Owen has sold her shares in Vermont Leathercraft Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd to Creek Lab (Pty) Ltd, and officially handed over the business to Prashant Bhaga.In a message on LinkedIn, she wrote: “I would like to thank my husband, Graham, for his invaluable contributio ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Rwanda’s planned leather park movedRwanda’s planned tannery park has been moved from Bugesera District to Gicumbi District, according to several reports. It’s expected to be completed by 2029. The project was first announced in 2024. ...moreFMD: Government upbeat, little comment from industryPretoria, Gauteng, SA – The Department of Agriculture’s “strategic objective” is to vaccinate 80% of South Africa’s national cattle herd – which is around 14 million animals – against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) by December this year, according to a media statement on 12 May.“The vaccinatio ...moreImproving the strength and softness of crust leather through pressure treatment
IntroductionRetanning and fatliquoring have a major impact on the characteristics of leather, whereas dyeing and the finishing concentrate on the appearance of the leather. Various retanning agents and fatliquoring agents have been developed to improve the softness and mechanical strength of leather, parameters that are important to the b ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- SA's first PPE conference draws top speakers
The Safety First Association and SAPEMA hosted SA’s first PPE conference in March, cramming 20 papers into a 2-day event, which also featured a number of PPE supplier stands. Here, we carry edited versions of 7 of them to illustrate the diversity of the topics. We expect to carry more in the next edition.As several speakers pointed ...moreMaking fall protection practical
Working at height is, by its nature, potentially dangerous. But only potentially. Properly planned and executed, working at height is safe. However, accidents and injuries are common.Part of the problem is that many – most – businesses do fall protection plans as tick box exercises. Industry can help by planning correctly, whi ...moreThe PPE Conference – PPE isn’t optional, it’s essential: A review
Leighton Bennett, the Safety First Association chairperson and a SHE and risk management consultantThe hosts of this first PPE Conference held in South Africa, were the Safety First Association and SAPEMA, on the 10 and 11 March 2026, at the Emperor’s Palace, in Kempton Park.This conference objectives were to provide a unique opport ...more
© S&V Publications
