S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol81 No4 April 2018
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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
- National Leather and General Goods Strategy WorkshopOn 23 June, following months of fieldwork, B&M Analysts (BMA) hosted an online workshop to discuss the recovery of the handbags, belts, travel goods and allied manufacturing industries in SA.The industries, although very diverse, fall under the General Goods & Handbags Sector of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Indus ...moreTshepo opens new store at Mall of AfricaJohannesburg, 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 ...moreJulz Shoes launches men’s rangeSneaker and moccasin style samples from the men’s range.Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA – Women’s leather comfort/lifestyle brand Julz Shoes has launched a men’s collection under the brand Will’s Shoes.Both ranges are “locally designed, made offshore”, GM Hayley Barker said.“Julz has built a loy ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Cooperation between SMEs, academia and government can find solutionsDr Cecilia China, AfriTech Organic Leather Co. Ltd, the Nelson Mandela Institution of Science & Technology She said Africa has the hides and skins but lacks organised systems to convert them into competitive products.She described her interactions with the Kiwango Leather Cluster with the goal of producing high quality, eco-frien ...moreMobilising Africa’s natural livestock resource to reinvigorate the regional leather value chainAfrica possesses one of the world’s largest livestock populations, yet the continent captures only a fraction of the value generated from leather and leather-based products. From cattle in the East and South Africa, to goats and sheep across North Africa, the continent’s abundant livestock resource represents not only a source ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': Over and AgainThe EU announced that hides and skins could be removed from the EUDR directive's deforestation commodities. Could! Last month, like many others, I thought that the decision had been taken, but that doesn’t seem to be correct. The final decision will be taken after public feedback. Yeah, you read this right: after public feedback. As ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- RealPPE Marketplace: Where safety meets smarter procurementRealPPE Marketplace is a 100% black women-owned B2B PPE marketplace built for South African industry. Founded after years of witnessing safety officers and procurement teams lose time to fragmented suppliers, inconsistent pricing, and missing documentation, RealPPE was created to bring structure and reliability to industrial PPE sourcing. ...moreOccupational noise-induced hearing loss ‘is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world’Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world*. 16% of all disabling hearing loss in adults is due to noise exposure.It’s also expensive. According to one study, it costs US$242 million in annual compensation in the USA. In the UK, the typical cost per claim in the is £ ...moreSA's first PPE conference draws top speakersThe 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 ...more









