S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol87 No10 October 2021
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
Click the advert links for more info. • Download PDF
IN THIS ISSUE:
03 This Month's Focus Sector: School Shoes and Belts
- After 18 months of 'bust' maybe a brief moment of 'boom'?
- Comments by:
- Hans Beier, Neucoat: Locally made synthetic school shoe upper material launched.
- Michael Wyatt, Bata SA: It all depends on customers' sell out rate.
- Rajeev Pattundeen, Palm Footwear: In the bigger picture, this is just another blip.
- Andrew Fenwick, Saddler Belts: 'We'll respond to the future together.'
- Shane van Niekerk, Jet: Anticipating close-to-normal demand, but pressure on prices.
- Sharon New, Term Footwear: Looking to source from countries 'more aligned to the UK'.
- Delanie Bezuidenhout, My Walk With Soul: Combining recycling PVC with donated school shoes.
11 Sector: Safety Footwear
- Wayne Plastics: Gumboot manufacturers at the forefront of footwear's campaign to be recognised as sustainable.
12 Sector: Travel Goods
- Kennith Barlow, Destinations by Frasers: After a long famine, travel goods retailers need to stock up for a deluge.
13 The U.S. Market
- Marshall Cohen, the NPD Group: Holiday 2021 - A season of comfort and concern.
14 New Ideas
- Russell Addinall: If you can imagine it, you can make it - product development, internships and training.
15 Trade Fairs
- MICAM Milano: Re-launch 'exceeded expectations' - now preparations for February edition get underway.
17 Notice Board
- Debbie Ditchfield obituary: Like a shooting star, a brief, glorious life.
Advertisers in this Issue
BBF Safety Group (OFC), Caterpillar / Medicus Footwear (13), Corvari Footwear / Angels (17), Corvari Footwear / Natural Steps (15), Destinations by Frasers/Busby (04), Destinations by Frasers/ Delsey (06), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), Italtan (03), Karma / Caterpy (09), Manock Naturals (10), New Creation Shoes (16), SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (18), Saddler Belts (07).
In The Next Issue:
- Focus Sector: A look at some local brands.
Out on November 26
PRICE:TBA
PRICE:TBA
PRICE:TBA
Footwear Industry Articles
- Tshepo opens new store at Mall of Africa
Johannesburg, 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 ...moreSAFLEC AGM 2026: A year marked by resilience
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to welcome all our members and stakeholders to the 24th Annual General Meeting of the South African Leather & Footwear Export Council (SAFLEC).The Annual General Meeting provides us with an opportunity not only to reflect on the performance of the Council over the past financial y ...moreNike claims ‘mental benefits’ from new styles, observers take wait-and-see approach
Nike makes big technical claims for a category of non-sport footwear (their description: pre-game and post-game) launched in January.Certainly not the first footwear to incorporate underfoot pressure points, ‘Nike Mind Technology’ is 2 shoes – a mule and a sneaker (in different colour options) – which Nike says lit ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Nigeria’s Leather Industry: Not a clear picture
Nigeria is widely accepted as having a very large livestock population, but a relatively small tanning industry, much of it concentrated in Kano, producing high grade goat- and sheepskin crust which is exported for finishing elsewhere for use in garments.Recent articles cast some doubt on this, so are Nigeria’s hides and skins: M ...moreDavid Buirski retires (but we’re sure to hear more from him)
David Buirski, the former South African who edited World Leather from 1993 to 2005, and who continued his involvement with the publication and its offshoots until recently, has finally retired because “having turned 90 last December, I guess it was the sensible thing to do. Thirty-three years could be considered a long time.&rd ...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 ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Occupational 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 £ ...moreFurther controls over the import of safety footwear are on the wayOn 03 August 2026, the Safety Footwear Working Group, led by SAFLIA, submitted a request to Minister Tau (dtic) for interim import control measures in respect of specified safety footwear. The request was strongly supported by organised labour and other industry stakeholders.The application was further strengthened by contributions f ...moreRealPPE 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. ...more
