S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol83 No4 April 2020
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IN THIS ISSUE:
3 Covid-19
- Manufacturers in all 3 sectors of the Leather Bargaining Council will distribute UIF grants and pay what they can to top that up during the lockdown, general secretary Gerald Naidoo explains.
- Sharing the cost? Landlords and tenants both have strong cases.
- SATRA's PPE testing and certification teams remain open.
- The National Small Business Chamber offers free membership to 100 000 SMEs.
- Sneaker wipes have many applications.
8 Post Covid-19
- FLIC: Chains want to buy locally; price and styling are the issues, writes Richard Starmer.
- To repair the damage, African footwear manufacturers should consider attending Desma's 'house show' in September, says sales manager René Muschalle.
10 The U.S. Market - Opinion
- U.S. retail consumer trends shift dramatically amid Covid-19 crisis, writes the NPD's Marshall Cohen.
10 Businesses
- Bolton's Olympic brand to launch locally made outdoor styles on Vibram soles writes Gordon Gassert.
11 Anniversary
- Saddler Belts turns 30, tightens belt as it gears up for post Covid-19, post downgrade, post everything negative. Andrew Fenwick reflects.
12 Trends & Fashion
- Forecasts from Rowan Dorset, Madelein Kearns and Tinuka Poonee of Dangee Carken.
13 Trade
- SARS statistics for February 2020.
Advertisers in this Issue
Creative Leathergoods (5), Freestyle (2), OR Leathers (OFC), Paris Belts (2), Strassbergers (6).
In The Next Issue:
- Interviews after the lockdown.
Footwear Industry Articles
- Skechers goes private amid rising tariffs
As U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports climb to 125%, Skechers is stepping away from public markets to rethink its strategy. ...moreObituary: Miles O’Brien – Sportshoe, Jordan Shoes (08/02/1950-26/10/2025) Some See the Crescent, He Saw the Whole of the Moon
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Miles O’Brien went to Progress College in Rondebosch and studied marketing at Cape Technikon. His first job was at Standard Bank in Plumstead for a short period of time, then onto the City Tramways for 10 years.Sportshoe was owned by Benny Stoltzman (who also owned Vogue Shoes) who had the agency for A ...moreMizuno: New distributor plans increase in marketing, and diversification of sports categoriesJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Digital Wellness has been appointed by Mizuno Europe as the new Mizuno Footwear distributor for Southern Africa.It was previously distributed by Performance Endurance Solutions.Brian Kerby will continue with the brand, filling the role of Mizuno Brand Manager. He and Digital Wellness MD Ricky West respond ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- EUDR Update: What Africa’s Leather Sector Needs to Know NowThe European Commission’s latest proposal to simplify the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) timeline has sparked debate, and arguably a little relief, across global supply chains. However, while there are signs of continued flexibility, the message from the European Commission in Brussels remains firm: the regulation is ...morePangea: ‘Maintaining status quo in quiet market’Nigel, Gauteng, SA – The global market for automotive leather remains subdued, Pangea SA finance & administration director Adrian Visser said this month, and in South Africa’s case, that is further affected by concerns about US tariffs “which affect us indirectly through our customers”.“It’s a flat ...moreKey changes in TFL´s leadership team
Langenfeld, Germany – Kaija Korolainen was appointed Group Chief People Officer (CPO) on 01 July and Samer Al Jabi was appointed Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) on 01 September.Kaija has a strong track record of strategic HR leadership across multiple industries and geographies. At TFL, she is responsible for ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Surviving the safety footwear industry: The Simpsons meet Armageddon
ProFit Safety Footwear national sales manager Nick Bryant was asked on his 45th birthday (20th of August) whether he still enjoys what he does for a living. “Absolutely. I love it. I live for it,” he replied. “And as for how… well, like most things in life, you need to have a serious passion for it… and an ...moreSELECTING JOB TASK PPEThe issue of ‘Selecting Job Task Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE)’ seems a simple undertaking, but at many levels, it is a fairly complex issue, because for each type of PPE there are usually various product variants available for the different risks and exposures related to specific job task work occurrences and events.To ...moreFidelity acquires SSG Holdings to grow to nearly 70 000 staff over more than 250 locationsJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA (17 September 2025) – Fidelity Services Group has acquired a majority shareholding in SSG Holdings, following all requisite regulatory approvals. The acquisition will expand Fidelity’s footprint to more than 256 locations and grow its workforce to approximately 69 200 employees across Southern Africa. ...more
