S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol87 No7 July 2021
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 This Month's Focus Sector: Oops
- Was intended to be Handbags, but other issues got in the way.
04 The 'Failed Coup?'
- Images of the burnt and looted A.G. Greenaways Natal, and a message of thanks from a shopping centre.
- Zapiro's take on looters' motivations.
- A message to South Africans now living overseas, by Mike Abel, CE of M&C Saatchi Abel.
09 Sector Reports
- Safety Footwear: BBF Safety Group's podiatry partner, Anette Thompson, awarded PhD for research which will aid treatment of diabetic foot disorders.
- Sports Footwear: The Athlete's Foot's Barry Selby and The Randburg Runner's Gordon Howie say a U.S. report that Nike and Adidas are losing ground to other brands in women's running is true here, too.
- Leather Goods: The travel ban has brought some leather garment business back to local manufacturers, says Manock Naturals' Klaus Manock. Now the trick is to keep it here.
- Procurement: Former chain retail procurement staff Kim van Wyngaard and Thandi Moyo set up The Retail Hub, a business aimed at helping other retailers with their expertise.
15 Trade & Trade Fairs
- The FNB's Bobby Madhav comments on SA's highest ever trade surplus.
- MICAM explains the fairy tale theme behind its marketing campaign.
17 Technology
- Canadian trail running shoe manufacturer Norda uses a bio-based Dyneema fibre to increase its sustainability.
18 Notice Board Obituaries
- Mike Peterkin: A party looking for a place to happen.
- Rajeev Kumar: He left home to seek his fortune, and found it.
- Con Barnard: From mischievous Malvern kid to respected shoemaker.
- Guy Blake: Fighter, people's person, family man.
- Gordon Singh: Shoemaker, magician, and 'absolute gentleman'.
Advertisers in this Issue
BBF Safety Group (OFC), Caterpillar Footwear (this page), Creative Leathergoods (6), Dale Footwear/Hush Puppies (9, 10), Freestyle (5), Manock Naturals (7), MICAM (2), Saddler Belts (3), Strassberger Shoes (8).
In The Next Issue:
- Focus Sector: Handbags. Out on August 20.
Footwear Industry Articles
- What if South Africa loses AGOA? A hypothetical scenario for the footwear export industryThe interconnected nature of trade, politics, and diplomacy reminds us that no industry operates in isolation. The possibility of South Africa losing its AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) benefits is purely hypothetical, but exploring such scenarios helps us plan for resilience and adaptability. This article is a thought exercise ...moreCan Uber Eats help Allbirds turn a profit?
Allbirds, the sustainable footwear brand, has made a strategic move by partnering with Uber Eats, despite facing significant financial struggles. The company continues to prioritize sustainability in every aspect, from its products to logistics, and this collaboration further highlights that commitment. Throu ...more2025 FORECASTSBy common consent, 2024 has been a difficult year for almost all businesses, organisations, government departments and people in the SA leather value chain. The main exceptions would have been successful exporters, because the domestic market has been getting poorer year after year. The underlying reasons are mostly to do with the policie ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- A cost-effective method of reducing loose grain damage during the bating process
IntroductionEnzymatic bating is an important part of the leather making process. Bating enzymes help remove unwanted skin components from the hide structure, as well as any scud present on the grain layer. Good bating leads to clean, soft leather. Under bating results in poor removal of unwanted skin components, and a firmer crust leather ...moreHide demand steady amid growing global supply, gelatine plants absorbing higher number of lower grades
The picture I get of the leather industry globally is that it is losing share in all its markets for a variety of reasons. In South Africa, the situation is compounded by cash-strapped consumers choosing cheaper alternatives. Cape Produce Company is at the beginning of the leather process, and it supplies all leather markets in SA and internationally. I asked CEO Benjy Lapiner if the picture is as bleak as I’m told. No, he said, but… ...moreGroenewald returns to OPSA
Oudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA – Newald Groenewald rejoined Ostrich Products SA (OPSA) in September as tannery manager.He started at the then Klein Karoo International in 1991 before joining OPSA as tannery manager in 2015. He joined Le Croc as tannery manager in 2021, and left there earlier this year. ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- How dangerous is Radon?
Radon is estimated to cause 3% to 14% percent of all lung cancer cases in the world, depending on where you live and how much radon you are exposed to.Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible and odourless gas that enters homes and workplaces unnoticed. It can pose a serious health risk at elevated levels for a prolonged period. But what ...moreArtificial intelligence for Clinical Pathology: Data-efficient foundation model for biomarker detection
Bremen, Germany (02 September 2024) – The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems shows promise in medicine, where they can be used to detect diseases earlier, improve treatments, and ease staff workloads. But their performance depends on how well the AI is trained. A new multi-task approach to training AI makes it possible to t ...moreAutomatic image recognition to identify types of wood: Harnessing AI to fight global deforestation
Kaiserslautern, Germany (02 September 2024) – The new European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is intended to prevent goods marketed in the EU from contributing to the spread of deforestation. When a wood product is brought into the EU market, for example, there must be documentation of which types of wood were used to produce it, a ...more
