S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol81 No4 April 2018
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Business Barometer: Still hanging on
- Reunion Components: Much quieter than last year, but some positives on the horizon.
- A1 Bags: Innovate, cut costs and hang in there.
- Best Shoes: Tough, but we were expecting worse.
- Foot Fashion: The key is the right product at the right price.
- Afro Thai Imports: It boils down to a very tight economy.
- AM Badat: The twin challenges of chains and counterfeits.
Business
- Chic: We try to learn from our mistakes, says IDC.
- SAFLEC seeks to clarify exports to BLNS countries.
Company News
- Dangee Carken: Handpicked head for new clothing division.
- JN Chamberlain: Seeking new footwear markets for its resin and microcellular rubber sheeting.
Training
- ARSUTORIA footwear and leather goods design courses.
World News
- A more thoughtful - realistic - approach to Made in America.
- Nine West reportedly edging closer to bankruptcy, could sell flagship label to Authentic Brands Group.
- Rare coalition bands together to fight Trump tariffs.
Advertisers in this Issue
Apeco (2), Chillisource/Shoepack (8, 9), Dangee Carken (OFC, 10), Katz Footwear (12), PMC Group (5), Source Africa (14), Tuftex (6).
Footwear Industry Articles
- A perspective: Perhaps it was an eye-opener for industry players to hear each otherLooking back over the workshop, BMA consultant Justin Snelling wrote: “In terms of our reflections of the workshop, we covered a lot of territory. Perhaps though what was most encouraging was the breadth of participation from different segments of the sector and their willingness, or even excitement, to contribute. We don’t ta ...moreR-CTFL meeting: Manufacturers told ‘to come back with something to show’Last week’s R-CTFL Masterplan meeting between retail, manufacturing, labour and government, with a concentration on footwear and leather goods, showed that the gulf between retail and the rest hasn’t narrowed.A follow-up meeting is planned for 08 May.The Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (DTIC), the SA Footwear & ...moreHow FootJoy’s superbly crafted shoes influenced my life
An Informative & Nostalgic Letter written in April 2025 to two executives at Acushnet (USA) – A leading golf corporation which includes FootJoy Shoes.RE: FootJoy & II recall the very first pair of FootJoy golf shoes my late father bought for me in July 1976. This wasn’t my first interaction with the brand that I had al ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- SA’s 2025 automotive leather exports: Down on 2024, but still good, on the face of it
Figures from NAAMSA’s Automotive Trade Manual 2026 Automotive components – exports by product Component category 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 % of total export value Ran ...moreMobilising Africa’s human resource to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain
In last month’s edition I wrote about mobilising Africa’s livestock to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain, and this article is focussed on mobilising the human resource that is needed to make the most of the abundant livestock populations in the region.On Friday 12th June, newly organised SARLEN (Southern African Re ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': Congratulations!Congratulations and compliments to UNIC and COTANCE for the huge job they have done together with LCHA, AHSLEA, Beef & Lamb New Zealand, TDSD, CICB, ALLPI, ICT, ICHSLTA, ICEC and SLF as well as many others by convincing the EU to scrap bovine hides from the EUDR directive. A long and tiring process which has cost them lots of time and ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Biodegradable disposable gloves ‘a growing trend’ in PPE
The poster is available to download in English in both PNG and PDF formats hereCompostable and biodegradable PPE are said to be rapidly growing trends internationally, lead by brands like Showa and HaPPE Earth.The nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation GmbH in Hürth, Germany, has published an updated versio ...moreUnderstanding local and international PPE standards: Clarity in a complex landscape
Appearances and claims to the contrary, South Africa’s PPE industry “is largely unregulated, and a high percentage of PPE on the market is not compliant with official standards”, uvex Safety SA MD Christo Nel said, “and that’s a problem at many levels, and for the entire value chain”.He said the fundame ...moreNew OHS regulations coming into force later this year mean PPE needs to be reviewed, too
In March 2025, the Physical Agents Regulations (and their guidelines) and the Noise Exposure Regulations (and their guidelines) of the OHSAct were published, with an 18-month time-period promulgation date to September 2026, allowing employers time to upgrade their Health & Safety requirements to comply with the new published regulatio ...more
