S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol82 No3 March 2019
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Business Barometer
- Attie Els, Els Agencies: Will the industry survive long enough to see the upturn?
- Hadley Craig, Cape Knife Cutting: Develop and diversify, or die.
- Tavonga Gonyora, Dick Whittington Shoes: Hoping for post-election confidence.
- Keith Baptista, agent: We need to sell what sells.
- Barry Selby, The Athlete's Foot: On balance, business is improving.
- Stephan Ncube, agent: Opportunities for a good year.
Opinion from NPD in the U.S.
- E-commerce in sports retail.
- What really happened with athletic footwear and activewear sales in 2018
Doing things differently
- A new series. In this first article, Graeme Tuck of Durban-based retailer/wholesaler Blueberry Blush describes the business's journey so far.
Business News
- Botswana start-up Armadilloz is looking to partner with local company.
- Borage diversifies into leather lamination.
- Bolton Footwear sports brand maintains partnership with SA Hockey.
- Sneaker retailer Vosk to do trial order with Tego Footwear.
Counterfeit
- Footwear accounts for over 20% of global counterfeit product, says statistical service Statista.
Exports
- Sourcing Journal reports that E Cape EPZ 'is a potential new global apparel source'.
Zimbabwe
- Inflation hits apparel.
- Chinese group 'considering shoe factory in Bulawayo'
Technology
- Scientists develop first fabric to automatically cool or insulate depending on conditions.
Notice Board
- SAFLEC's Louise Pelser, retiring at the end of May, looks back at her time in the industry.
Advertisers in this Issue
Dick Whittington Shoes/Johnston & Murphy (3), Europa Art Group/Clarks (OFC), Intershu/Bounce Max (2), Katz Footwear/Willow men's (5), Kaytex Belts (11), Strassberger's (12).
PRICE:TBA
PRICE:TBA
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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 ...moreComrades Expo 2026
Durban, KZN, SA – The exhibitor list at the Comrades Expo, from 11-13 June, has shown an evolution in the types of companies exhibiting. Just 1 running footwear supplier, Ikhambi Distribution, promoting its Hoka brand, was there.Technical sock suppliers, however, were well represented, with Balega, Falke, Sox Footwear and The Hirst ...moreKen Riches: Reflections on an extraordinary life: Those who can, do – those who can do it even better, teach
It’s been 18 years this month since Ken Riches died. Here is a glimpse into what lay under that fairly protective exterior.Ken Riches, one of our country’s true footwear experts, passed peacefully on to that final production line in the sky on 11 August 2008. He had lived through the rapidly changing times from just after the ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Mobilising 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 ...moreAfrican leather businesses holding LWG and SLF ratingsAs African leather manufacturers strive to grow their exports, the number which have qualified for ratings by the Leather Working Group (LWG) and the Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) is growing.By country, LWG lists the following:Algeria: Sarl Tannerie Ain FakrounBurkina Faso: Mona Industry SARL.Egypt: El Montaza Tannery, Piel Color C ...moreLuxury or notWe hear from all sides that the leather industry is not doing too well and the conflict in the Middle East is definitely not improving the situation. The present wars have a huge impact on inflation and hence on the buying power of consumers with negative consequences for the luxury industry whose shares we have seen tumbling at the vario ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- RealPPE Marketplace: Where safety meets smarter procurement
RealPPE 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. ...moreChina-made firefighting equipment now needs verification of conformity with SANS standardsPretoria, Gauteng, SA – Firefighting equipment is among the 25 product categories published on 01 April by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition for a mandatory Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) Programme.The system will require certain goods shipped from China to be tested and certified before they enter the ...moreRealPPE 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. ...more
