S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol89 No6 June 2023
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Innovation
- Footwear and leather goods are mostly excluded from duty free imports under the AfCFTA agreement – at least for now.
- Traditional retail making a comeback at the expense of DTC, says Wall Street Journal.
06 School Shoes
- Veldskoen lends design in school shoe collaboration with Softer.
07 Exports & Trade
- Chimpel (Shim-Pal to those in the know): A hunger to succeed.
- SACU members sign agreement to ease imports and exports.
11 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Unravelling the future of boat shoes – insights into Sperry’s market position.
- Shocking underpayment of workers in modern day America.
- Inclusivity tested: Major retailer faces backlash, removes LGBQT merchandise.
- Luxury vs. middle-class market: Prada Group’s growth and PouYuen Vietnam’s setbacks.
15 Sustainability
- PVC industry fights to avoid global ban. - Global Vinyl Council feedback on Paris talks to ban plastic waste – a report by Monique Holtzhausen, CEO of the Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA).
- Première Vision: Following new rules.
- SGS expands network of ZDHC Foundation approved softlines labs.
- Microban develops metal-free anti-microbial technology
12 Notice Board
- Retirement: Terry Holton, ACA: ‘Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work.’
- Bata appointments: Saket Mota, Denise Moodley, Suhail Rajah.
19 Trade Statistics
- South Africa: April imports and exports of footwear and accessories, provided by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
APLF (OFC), Berzacks (04), Bolton Footwear/Grasshoppers (05), Evolution Engineering (01), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), Royal Adhesive Industries (07), Saddler Belts (09), SAFLEC (10), S&V Directory (13), S&V Trade Fair Calendar (17), Softer (03).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 21 July.
- Veldskoen lends design to South Africa’s ‘Ultimate School Shoe’; Aims to improve pupils’ mental health in the processCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Veldskoen has partnered with Softer Shoes to make the ultimate school shoes for SA kids. It aims to raise awareness about the critical role that proper footwear plays in supporting a child's overall well-being and educational development.The Softer x Veldskoen ‘Schoolskoen’ is designed and made w ...moreChimpel (Shim-Pal for those in the know): A hunger to succeedCape Town, W. Cape, SA – What is it about Cape Town that most of the country’s top end leather goods manufacturers are there?That question made Chimpel founder Majda Rabin pause. “I don’t know,” she said. “I think we’re very cosmopolitan here.”The daughter of a tailor and a wedding dress des ...moreUnravelling the future of boat shoes: Insights into Sperry's market positionIn the dynamic world of footwear and fashion, one company stands at a crucial crossroads of transformation. Wolverine Worldwide, USA, recognized for its esteemed brands such as Merrell, Saucony, Sperry, and Sweaty Betty, is embarking on a journey to reshape its brand portfolio. The recent revelation of "strategic alternatives" f ...moreShocking underpayment of workers in modern-day USAWorker exploitation has always been a matter close to my heart. Having spent many years as an industrialist in Africa, I believed then that it was primarily an issue faced by developing nations in Africa, Asia and China. Little did I know that even in the United States, a country known for its affluence, such exploitation would be uncover ...moreLuxury vs. middle-class market: Prada Group's growth and PouYuen Vietnam's setbacksItalian luxury fashion company Prada Group is set to expand its workforce and production capacity in response to increasing demand. The company plans to hire over 400 workers, including students from its prestigious Prada Group Academy, with a focus on skills development. Prada Group employs strategic marketing techniques such as advertis ...moreGVC feedback on Paris talks to ban plastic wasteFive members of the Vinyl Institute of the United States represented SAVA and fellow members of the Global Vinyl Council at the United Nations negotiations on a binding global agreement on plastic waste last week. During ten days in France, the PVC team met with more than 50 national delegations, trade associations, al ...moreBata appointmentsDurban, KZN, SA – Bata Group has made several appointments.Bata South Africa's finance director of 2 years, Saket Mohta, has been promoted to regional finance director - Africa and Middle East Region for Bata Group, and is succeeded by Denise Moodley as the first woman FD at Bata SA.Bata SA country manager, Michael Wyatt, said of Mo ...moreFootwear, leather goods will mostly NOT be duty free from Africa – for nowWith little fanfare, SAFLIA, the DTIC and the unions have managed to persuade the SA Government to keep most footwear and leather goods tariff lines out of the soon-to-be-implemented African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will see most products traded duty free between African countries.So far.AfCFTA’s aim is to create ...moreTraditional retail making a comeback at the expense of DTC, says Wall Street JournalThe wheel is undoubtedly turning – things that were shunned as out-of-date, like bricks-and-mortar stores – are making a comeback. It appears some of the gloss has gone out of direct-to-consumer, too.On 19 June, under the headline, Brands Wanted to Cut Out Stores. Not Anymore, The Wall Street Journal wrote that brands, from st ...moreSACU members sign agreement to ease imports and exportsJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA (31 May 2023) – Accredited traders in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa will benefit from lower trade costs and quicker turn-around times for imports and exports, because of a Mutual Recognition Arrangement signed today by the five Member States of the Southern African Customs Union (SAC ...moreInclusivity tested: Major retailer faces backlash, removes LGBTQ merchandiseUSA Newspapers were abuzz on May 23, 2023, when reports surfaced that Target, a prominent retailer, promptly removed certain LGBTQ merchandise from its stores due to significant customer backlash. Target had previously introduced its Pride Collection, an initiative aimed at celebrating inclusivity. However, confrontations between customer ...morePVC industry fights to avoid global banThis is the era of environmentalism – the vital, the misguided, the rational, the emotional, but overall, the way the world must go. Domestic markets in poor countries are sheltered to some extent because for them, price is the main determinant. But when they become exporters, they must follow the rules of their target nations.Two p ...morePremière Vision: Following new rulesParis, France - This July 4, 5 & 6, Première Vision Paris will open its doors on an edition that's been redesigned to meet the challenges of the sector's transformation, driven by the transition to sustainability, regulatory changes, the impact of the pandemic on clothing consumption, the implications of the geopolitical crisis ...moreSGS expands network of ZDHC Foundation approved softlines labsSGS’s softlines laboratories in Hong Kong and Istanbul have been approved by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation to operate as ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) certification bodies for conformance to Levels 1, 2 and 3 of MRSL V3.1.The number of SGS’s ZDHC approved facilities has now ...moreMicroban develops metal-free anti-microbial technologyMicroban International – which develops antimicrobial technology, odour control and surface disinfection solutions – has brought novel metal-free technologies with more friendly toxicity profiles to market.Its latest solutions include: LapisShield, which offers easy to incorporate antimicrobial functionality for water-based ...moreRetirement: Terry Holton, ACA Threads ‘Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work’Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Having reached the age of 71years, the time has come for me to hang up my work clothes and hand over to younger blood.I was born in Johannesburg on 14 June 1952 and lived in the Florida area and West Rand until 2011 and then moved to Randpark Ridge.Matriculated at Florida Park High School in 1969.I worked in th ...moreSA footwear & accessories trade statistics for April 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (28 April 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (4 295 013 403)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.23Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (837 219 286)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.30ExportsMonth % of total 0.22Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 1 024 735 317Cumulative 2 ...more
Footwear Industry Articles
- AI is putting an end to counterfeit sneakersOsmo’s AI-powered scent authentication machine in action, revolutionizing the fight against counterfeit sneakers by detecting unique chemical profiles with remarkable precision.As the sneaker resale market continues to boom, counterfeit goods remain a persistent concern for both luxury and mass-market brands. Counterfeiters have bec ...moreExpectation that December will be betterDavid Fox, Choice ClothingCape Town, W. Cape, SA - It’s been a pretty tough year for most retailers, I think – a weak Rand and cash-strapped consumers. Our Black Friday promotion will run from 21st November to 3rd December, with specials every day. The merchandise will be across the board – T-shirts, jeans, footwear. It ...moreWhat 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 ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Rolfes Leather: New owners give it entrée to more African marketsBoksburg, Gauteng, SA – Rolfes Leather and the other 4 divisions which collectively make up the Rolfes Group have been acquired by the Solevo Group, a pan-African distributor of specialty chemicals.In a statement, Solevo said it had bought 100% of Rolfes Group in a deal backed by Solevo’s owner, London-based Development Partne ...moreLULUC: Explaining the link between deforestation and the leather industryLand use and land use change (LULUC) refers to the study area in general – that is the study of how global land use change (commonly through human intervention) results in increased atmospheric emissions. The obvious emission is that if the forest is burnt, the emissions are directly released into the atmosphere. However, the change ...moreThe power of partnership…This month we are delighted to announce the beginning of a new programme, being funded by the Leather & Hide Council of America as part of the US Regional Agricultural Programme. ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Flexible epoxy coating provides modular constructions with hours of fire protectionPittsburgh, PA, USA – PPG’s Steelguard 951 epoxy intumescent fire protection coating is designed for advanced – read high value – manufacturing facilities, including semiconductor plants, electric vehicle battery facilities, data centres and other commercial infrastructure.It provides up to 4 hours of fire protecti ...moreFostering safety through commitment by empowering workforce development and lifelong dedicationJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA (24 October 2024) – Workplace safety is not merely a regulatory requirement; it is a fundamental aspect of organisational health and success. At its core lies commitment—a steadfast dedication to safeguarding the well-being of employees. When commitment permeates an organisation, it creates a culture ...moreThe Fire and Life Safety Blame Game!SFA: EMS Conference 10/24Leighton Bennett (BSc, MDP dip, Pr.CHSA, AIRMSA, GradSaiosh, .M.ACHASM, Former FIOSM)Safety First Association - Chairperson SHE and Risk Management ConsultantOverview• Fire and life safety aspects introduction • Owner / Lessor / Employer Fire and Life Safety Responsibilities • Meaning of life safety ...more
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