S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No1 January 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Profile
- Groundcover: The rise of the second generation, by Daniel McCarthy.
05 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Footwear entering USA declines sharply.
- Adidas achieves equilibrium with a 50/50 balance between in-store and e-commerce sales.
- UGG accused by PETA of misleading marketing.
- India and South Africa’s footwear markets today – a tale of contrasting fortunes.
12 Sustainability
- From the BBC: How to choose the right sneakers, shoes and boots – and make them last. .
17 Business
- How can African businesses ensure they benefit from evolving online payments?
19 Counterfeit Protection
- Origify from Bosch gives sneakers and other products a digital fingerprint as protection against counterfeits.
20 Notice Board
- Retired: Trevor Espey – ‘The Top Agent’ goes surfing fulltime.
- Obituary: Allan ‘Shaky’ Norman, NR Footwear – Cobbles is his legacy.
- Obituary: Cecil Fenwick, Saddler Belts – He cared.
- Obituary: Lou Jonck, Royal Adhesives – A team player.
- Obituary: Roley Rogers, agent – The hardest working man you could hope to meet.
23 Trade Statistics
- South Africa: November imports and exports of footwear and accessories, provided by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
APLF Fashion Access (02), APLF Materials + (04), Arena Trims (07), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (OFC), Haesloop Agencies (09), Kaytex Belts (11), Leather Finishing Products (14), Partisan & Co/Palladium/Ben Sherman (01), Saddler Belts (05), SAFLEC (08), S&V Calendar (15), S&V Directory (23), Seadoone Shoes/Solite (18), Shotland Packing (16).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 16 February 2024.
- Groundcover: The rise of the second generationThe Midlands, KZN, SA – 2023 was a big year for Groundcover.The business was founded by my parents, Amanda and Justin McCarthy, in the KZN midlands in 1990.What started as a passion for leatherwork has since grown into a sensibly sized and sustainable business that employs 30 individuals.What has been key to our success is the commu ...moreAdidas achieves equilibrium with a 50/50 balance between in-store and e-commerce salesAdidas, a dominating force in the sportswear and footwear sector, has successfully achieved a perfect equilibrium, with an equal split between traditional brick-and-mortar and cutting-edge e-commerce sales, as outlined in a recent report by Retail Brew. The intriguing question arises: what factors could have propelled this surge in o ...moreUGG accused of misleading marketingPressure group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has unleashed its fury by levelling accusations against Ugg.Through a cease-and-desist letter addressed to Ugg, PETA called out the company for what it claims to be “misleading” clients with “marketing claims” aimed at assuring consumers that its ani ...moreIndia and South Africa’s footwear markets today — a tale of contrasting fortunesThe state of a country’s footwear industry often mirrors its economic health, and the contrast between India and South Africa is stark. India proudly flaunts a thriving footwear sector, while South Africa grapples with an industry in distress, showcasing the profound impact economic conditions have on shaping destinies. ...moreHow to choose the right sneakers, shoes and boots – and make them lastHow long does a pair of boots last? For the Princess of Wales, nearly two decades and counting. Her favourite tassled riding boots by Penelope Chilvers recently featured in Netflix's The Crown worn by the young student Kate (played by Meg Bellamy) at university. They were first worn in public by Kate Middleton in 2004, and ...moreHow can African businesses ensure they benefit from evolving online payments?Payment solution offerings are advancing at a rate of knots, especially with the integration of technologies like AI, biometrics, and voice payments. No longer is it an option for small-scale businesses to offer their wares online without the ability for consumers to pay for their goods via a web-based portal.In fact, Pricewaterhouse ...moreOrigify from Bosch gives sneakers and other products a digital fingerprint as protection against counterfeiterWe have published releases about Origify previously – in S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Vol. 89 No. 09, September 2023, and in S&V Protect Vol. 17 No. 3, illustrating its use in protecting designer handbags and medical/pharmaceutical products respectively. This release from Bosch illustrates its use protecting manufacturers of high-priced sneakers. ...moreRetired: Trevor Espey ‘The Top Agent’ goes surfing fulltimeCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Former Western Cape agent for Brite Reef Swimwear, Spike Apparel and Sterling Clothing, Trevor Espey, has retired after 43 years as an agent.“In the early years, I represented Hang Ten in the Cape and later controlled the brand within SA Franchising,” he wrote. “What a long, lovely story. M ...moreObituary: Allan ‘Shaky’ Norman – Sandals Ltd, Jardine Footwear, NR Footwear (15/06/1945-13/12/2023) Cobbles is his legacyAllan (Shaky) Norman died, aged 78, in Bournemouth, UK, on 13 December. He was born in 1945 at 26 Townsend St, Waterfoot, Rossendale, where he lived until emigrating to South Africa in 1973 to work for Shoe Corporation, Durban. When Shoe Corp. closed, he moved to Pietermaritzburg to start Sandals Ltd. with Jeff Adley for Eddels and ...moreHe cared : Obituary: Cecil John Fenwick – Saddler Belt & Leathercraft (09/07/1942-17/12/2023)My father, Cecil John Fenwick, was born in Eshowe, Zululand, in 1942. He was the son of a magistrate and the family moved around to various towns during his early school career. These towns were mainly in the countryside where people become close friends and family was important. He spent many happy years fishing and hunting with his dogs ...moreA team player : Obituary: Lodewyk Marthinus ‘Lou’ Jonck – Royal Adhesives (26/09/1951-26/12/2023)It is with regret that we inform the footwear industry of the passing of Lou Jonck in the late hours of the 25th December 2023 at the age of 72. Lou spent the majority of his life in Port Elizabeth where he established himself as a knowledgeable and well-liked man.Lou joined Royal Adhesive Industries in 2019 representing the organisation ...moreThe hardest working man you could hope to meetObituary: Roland ‘Roley’ Rogers – Bata SA, commission agent (11/09/1938-23/01/2024) Roley was born in Kuruman in the Northern Cape and was educated at CBC in Kimberly.He was an outstanding sportsman and represented OFS and Eastern Cape schools at rugby, cricket, and swimming.He joined Bata in Johannesburg and worked ...moreFootwear entering USA declines sharplyThe buying capacity of consumers in the USA, the second-biggest consumers of footwear in the world after China, has been significantly impacted by the Russia-Ukraine war, resulting in a general economic slowdown and inflation. Recent data, as reported by Observer BD on Monday, 13 November 2023, sheds light on the state of footwe ...moreSA footwear & accessories trade statistics for November 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (29 December 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (12 834 783 773)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.23Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (945 993 044)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.35ExportsMonth % of total 0.27Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 3  ...more
Footwear Industry Articles
- Can reduced VAT revitalize France’s shoe repair craft?The French parliament has recently reduced VAT on repairs for shoes, leather goods, textiles, and bicycles from 20% to 5.5%, a move expected to support sustainability, local artisans, and potentially revitalize a declining industry. This decision, reported by World Footwear on November 6, 2024, raises questions about its potenti ...moreNCRF: ‘A very complicated stew’Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – The NCRF has 10 members with very different approaches to all sorts of things, so a forecast is difficult.We’re keeping an eye on factors including reduced interest rates, the two-pot retirement system, and political outcomes, and there is a degree of optimism, but I’m not willing to attach any f ...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
- Agency company changesCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Gert Bosch and Arné Husselman left TST Agencies earlier this year.Bosch started Bosch Technical Services (Pty) Ltd (BTS), which began trading on 01 March, servicing the tanning industry. He represents a number of principals including some formerly represented by TST.Husselman has left the industry and ...moreRolfes 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 ...moreGroenewald returns to OPSAOudtshoorn, 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
- Mitigate risks and enhance efficiency - the ISO accreditation advantageDurban, KZN, SA (11 September 2024) – ISO accreditation is a strategic investment that empowers businesses to enhance their competitiveness, mitigate risks, and seize new market opportunities. By adhering to globally recognised standards, organisations can build trust, streamline operations, and achieve sustainable growth. While the ...moreStandard socks could shock: The hidden danger in anti-static work environmentsPinetown, KZN, SA – In any environment where the build-up of static electricity has been determined to be a risk, anti-static footwear must be worn. Anti-static footwear is designed to help dissipate the accumulation of static electricity from the body while still providing a reasonable level of resistance to electrical hazards from ...moreMBA North members place in top 4 of every category in MBSA National Safety Competition – againMaster Builders Association North (MBA North) members have continued their multi-year winning streak by being placed in the top four of every category in the 2024 Master Builders South Africa (MBSA) National Safety Competition (NSC) – the flagship event for health and safety in the building industry.Gerhard Roets, Health and Safety ...more
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