S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol89 No5 May 2023
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
Click the advert links for more info. • Download PDF
IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Innovation
- Arsutoria trend workshops: ‘You have the most multi-ethnic society in Africa – use the inspirations,’ says Stefano Migliavacca.
05 Exports & Trade
- WEEFING their brand of gentleman’s magic around the world: The story of leather tie manufacturer WEEF.
07 Company News
- Bata SA plans to grow imports of its brands, including North Stars and Bubblegummers,' says country manager Michael Wyatt.
08 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- IMBOX Protection: The closed-box, plug-and-play solution for footwear protection.
- How Skechers is using celebrity collaborations to reach the African American market.
10 Global Markets
- Private labels capitalise on the cost-of-living crisis in Europe, reports consumer analyst Circana.
12 Notice Board
- Obituary: David Scott – A man who will be remembered for as well as by the people he left behind.
14 Trade Statistics
- Largest clothing companies globally by market capitalisation.
- Largest footwear companies globally by market capitalisation.
- South Africa: March imports and exports of footwear and accessories, provided by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
BBF Safety (OFC), Berzacks (04), Evolution Engineering (01), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), Royal Adhesive Industries (07), Saddler Belts (10), SAFLEC (11), S&V Directory (13), S&V Trade Fair Calendar (16).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 9 June.
- Arsutoria trend workshops: 'You have the most multi-ethnic society in Africa - use the inspirations'
Durban, KZN, SA - The annual Arsutoria footwear and handbag international trends workshops in South Africa - which have run since 2017 - have, over the years, opened a window onto the fashion world for around 200 mainly design staff, most of whom would have had little opportunity to travel to fairs.The courses continued right through Covi ...moreNorth Star, Bubblegummers on the way back
Bata SA expansion programme: Retail partnerships, global brands ...moreIMBOX Protection: The closed-box, plug-and-play solution for footwear protection
IMBOX Protection is a footwear protection service that offers a closed-box, plug-and-play solution, which can protect all types of shoes within less than a minute. Since its launch in 2011, the company has expanded to 25 countries in Europe and Japan, and it's now making strides to expand in North America. The device used in the treatment ...moreHow Skechers is using celebrity collaborations to reach the African American market
Skechers has been striving to obtain a significant market share among the African American minority community in the United States. To appeal to this demographic, the brand, it would appear, has adopted a savvy strategy of collaborating with black celebrities. Seemingly by teaming up with popular figures, Skechers aims to attract new cons ...moreWEEFING their brand of gentleman’s magic around the world
WEEF is one of SAFLEC’s more unusual members, and they are full of mutual admiration.Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – In less than 7 years, leather tie manufacturer WEEF has gone from concept to fledgling global brand. And like a couple of other SA leather industry success stories, its founders are first and foremost marketing people, ...moreObituary: David Sean Scott - A man who will be remembered for the people he left behind
Obituary: David Sean Scott – Scotts, Brazilia Footwear (04/09/1955-26/02/2023)David Scott’s true legacy is summed up by the warmth of the memories of two women – his older daughter, Kate, and a former hawker he mentored to become an international businesswoman in her own right, Fortunate Msa Tserane of Msa Shoes.Kate Sco ...morePrivate labels capitalise on the cost-of-living crisis to make up 38% of total FMCG value sales in EuropeShoppers looking for smart deals on everyday groceries, to moderate the impact of price increases, are turning to private labels for better prices and excellent quality and value. ...moreSA footwear & accessories trade statistics for March 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (28 April 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (3 457 587 492)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.21Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (717 858 830)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.35 ExportsMonth % of total 0.20Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 758& ...more
PRICE:TBA
PRICE:TBA
PRICE:TBA
Footwear Industry Articles
- Manufacturer-buyer event: Among the manufacturer comments
The 2-day Retail Buyer Engagement & Manufacturer Onboarding Programme on 01 and 02 July was part of an effort to kickstart the R-CTFL Masterplan – which, from a footwear perspective at least, has appeared stalled.It was sponsored by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and implemented through the R-CTFL Masterplan Footwea ...moreAn industry with distinctive material riches, unable to sufficiently convert them into finished goods in a world class way“The project’s purpose,” said Courtney Grant, “is to be a robust, evidence-based strategy to address the leather and general goods sector’s challenges and unlock its growth potential.”The main headings of her presentation were:Creating the groundwork for a National Leather and General Goods Strategy:Fro ...morePalm Footwear: ‘One family’Palm Footwear was founded in July 1966 by Kasie Pattundeen, with 18 staff, making slippers.60 years later, with over 800 staff, it is among the biggest employers in the SA footwear industry and among the biggest manufacturers by volume.It remains a family business, headed by Rajeev and Kiran Pattundeen, with their children, Srishti and Rt ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Beyond the data trap: Why better decisions matter more than just more data
On 1st July 2026 I presented at the FILK Leather Days conference and asked the delegates to consider “Sustainability through a new lens: resetting how we view impacts in the leather value chain”. This month’s article therefore explores this idea a little more with a focus on how we view data and whether it can blind us t ...moreSARLEN: Defining what needs to be doneThe SARLEN webinar on 12 June 2026 featured 3 main speakers. The entire presentation can be seen here: : https://drive.google.com/file/d/14xBkPMTqsln-YuqkCXsm_vsazDwNqL83/view?usp=sharing ...moreSA’s 2025 automotive leather exports: Down on 2024, but still good, on the face of it
Figures from NAAMSA’s Automotive Trade Manual 2026 Automotive components – exports by product Component category 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 % of total export value Ran ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Protecting the workforce: The critical role of PPE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is utilised in a work-environment as part of a larger prevention plan, because on its own protection is limited and may even provide a false sense of protection.An occupational disease prevention plan must be an actionable approach that identifies workplace health hazards, evaluates exposure, and i ...moreThe PPE Conference – PPE isn’t optional, it’s essential: A review
Leighton Bennett, the Safety First Association chairperson and a SHE and risk management consultantThe hosts of this first PPE Conference held in South Africa, were the Safety First Association and SAPEMA, on the 10 and 11 March 2026, at the Emperor’s Palace, in Kempton Park.This conference objectives were to provide a unique opport ...moreNew OHS regulations coming into force later this year mean PPE needs to be reviewed, too
In March 2025, the Physical Agents Regulations (and their guidelines) and the Noise Exposure Regulations (and their guidelines) of the OHSAct were published, with an 18-month time-period promulgation date to September 2026, allowing employers time to upgrade their Health & Safety requirements to comply with the new published regulatio ...more
© S&V Publications
