S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No3 March 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- The R-CTFL Masterplan, 5 years on – Part II: At the monthly meeting to discuss progress, it becomes clear that achieving duty-free access for footwear components isn’t a straightforward process.
- A visit to 7 chains shows that it’s very hard to find locally made shoes – and very hard also to find leather footwear.
- Els Agencies: Trying to get around late orders.
08 Sport & Activewear
- Diadora: Back, and with a vision to be a complete sport and lifestyle brand.
- Diadora: Looking to take a share of the running market.
- Diadora: Background to the brand.
- Admiral: Quietly, over a long period, it has grown a business supplying mainly into the sport trade and independent retailers.
14 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Stitching success – exploring the future of clothing and footwear in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Hermes in trouble in California courts over its Birkin Bag.
19 Notice Board
- Obituary: Basil Da Silva, Mendelson & Frost – The industry had many characters ‘back then’, and one has passed on.
- Obituary: Doug Patterson-Roberts, Kronies Footwear and Verona Shoes – A factory that was ‘a happy place to be’: Those were the days.
23 Trade Statistics
- South Africa: January imports and exports of footwear and accessories, provided by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
All China Leather Exhibition (07), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (05), Haesloop Agencies (06), Kaytex Belts (13), Leather Finishing Products (16), Leggenda Sport/Diadora (OFC and page 08), LGB Distributors/Admiral (11), Saddler Belts (02), SAFLEC (10), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (21), Shotland Packing (18).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 26 April 2024.
- Chain store visits: It’s very hard to find the locally made shoes
SAFLIA and S&V have separately carried out chain store visits in recent weeks at some prominent shopping centres, including most of the apparel chains aimed at middle- to upper middle-class consumers.There were a number of difficulties:It wasn’t always easy to find country of origin marking. Different chains – or perhaps d ...moreDiadora: Background to the brand
Diadora is an Italian sportswear and athletic footwear manufacturer that has a rich history dating back to 1948. The company was originally founded as a manufacturer for mountain boots by Marcello Danieli in Caerano di San Marco, a small town in northern Italy. The name"Diadora" is derived from the Greek words "dia" an ...moreAdmiral: Quietly, over a long period, it has grown a business supplying mainly into the sport trade and independent retailers
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Admiral first traded in South Africa in the 1970s and returned after isolation again in the late 80s, and while there have been changes, the business model has been largely consistent over that period: A brand offering technical clothing, footwear, and sports equipment for all teamwear sporting codes to t ...moreStitching success - exploring the future of clothing and footwear in Sub-Saharan Africa
Despite gloomy forecasts, research points to brighter prospects for Africa's fashion industry, driven by anticipated population growth. Contrary to what I thought before, it seems the secret does not lie in choosing better leaders but in having more babies :) ...moreHermès in trouble in California courts over its Birkin Bag
This article highlights a legal dispute surrounding Hermès and its iconic Birkin bag. The piece delves into a controversy in California courts, addressing allegations of unfair sales practices and potential antitrust violations. Additionally, I explore the Birkin bag's status as a luxury symbol and investment asset. I am amazed by the outrageously high price of the bag, and even more astonishing is the price of the bag on the second-hand market. I hope the article will provide your readers with insights into a market niche which I never knew existed. ...moreObituary: Basil Da Silva – Mendelson & Frost (28/02/1945-14/02/2024): The industry had many characters ‘back then’, and one has passed on
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA - It is with sadness we acknowledge the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Basil Da Silva, who died 2 weeks short of his 79th birthday.Basil joined Mendelson & Frost in 1970 at the age of 25 and retired in 2011, 40 years later, after being Cape Town branch manager and a shareholder of the company.He was b ...moreObituary: Douglas Andrew Patterson-Roberts – Kronies Footwear, Verona Shoes (06/06/1943-11/03/2024): A factory that was ‘a happy place to be’: Those were the days
Joins the footwear division of Feltex Industries – later R. Faulks & Co. – as a teenaged apprentice under the watchful eye of his father, Andy Patterson-Roberts, in about 1958. Studies via the SA Institute of the Boot & Shoe Industry and qualifies in 1965. Becomes a supervisor on the production floor in ...moreThe monthly PMO Extended committee meeting: Duty-free status isn’t a straightforward processRemoving the duty on imported components is a process, and footwear is just starting out on it.Clothing has been granted duty free access to imported woven fabrics, but that doesn’t automatically extend to footwear.“What I didn’t know was that separately from the HS tariff code for the product, there are specific rebate ...moreEls Agencies: Trying to get around late ordersMany footwear manufacturers which concentrate on producing women’s leather sandals for retail are “very quiet at the moment”, Attie Els owner of leather supplier Els Agencies said.“They have fair orders for delivery from July on, but until then, they’re living off their reserves, trying to survive. The orders ...moreDiadora: Back, and with a vision to be a complete sport and lifestyle brandLenasia, Gauteng, SA – At Diadora South Africa, we uphold a commitment to delivering premium quality and innovation across 3 divisions: Lifestyle, Performance, and Team Sports. Each division is meticulously curated to meet the diverse needs and preferences of our local clientele.Sponsorships: In our continuous efforts to support and ...moreSA footwear & accessories trade statistics for January 2024Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (29 February 2024) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (1 349 503 956)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.16Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (1 349 503 956)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.16ExportsMonth % of total 0.18Cumulative 2023 (R'm) ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- SAFLEC AGM – ‘recovery after the storm’
Sponsored by the SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC). Durban, KZN, SA – This year’s SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) AGM – the 22nd – was a much smaller occasion than in previous years, an acknowledgement of a reduced budget. It was, however, quite upbeat. ...moreOthers have taken their placeLouis Trichardt, Limpopo, SA – I do think their drop in business is because they have sidelined all the independents. After all, it was the independents that grew the brand, not the chain groups. With this being said, all other companies have taken advantage and grown to another level. One of those is Puma which has grown so much an ...morePlastics manufacturer develops first recyclable plastic bicycle frame
Midrand, Gauteng, SA (31 July 2024) – Industrial polymer developer and manufacturer, igus, has developed the first injection-moulded polymer bicycle frame designed for advanced bikes, a milestone in sustainable mobility. igus collaborated with German e-bike manufacturer Advanced Bikes to create a bicycle frame made entirely of recyc ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Enzymatic removal of proteoglycans in hides promotes opening-up of collagen fibre bundles
IntroductionWhen a hide loses moisture, the proteoglycans present in the hide stick the collagen fibres together. This negatively impacts the penetration of water and other chemicals into the hides during processing, and also the opening-up of the collagen fibres and hence the softness of the leather. It is therefore ideal to remove prote ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humour" HilariousThe industrial promotion section of the Rwandan Ministry of Trade and Industry has announced that the country intends to develop a tannery park in the Bugesera special economic zone near the border with Burundi. When one talks about a tannery park, one imagines a minimum of a dozen tanneries, and another dozen shoe and lea ...moreTLU SA & John Steenhuisen: A positive and constructive conversationTLU SA had positive and constructive discussions with the new Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on Tuesday morning.TLU SA attended the meeting this morning alongside other organisations where the main challenges in the agricultural industry were discussed. Steenhuisen welcomed the representatives and immediately addressed four ke ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Pathogen identification — next-generation sequencing optimises diagnostics
Stuttgart, Germany (12 June 2024) – Invasive infections such as sepsis require immediate and targeted treatment. Experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB and group partners have succeeded in establishing a reconceptualized detection principle that can make a crucial contribution to savi ...moreAnticipate LondonLondon, UK – Anticipate London, which incorporates 4 fairs covering security, fire safety, facilities management, health & safety, and risk management, will be held from 02-04 December 2024 at ExCeL London. The fairs are Facilities Show, Firex, IFSEC, and Safety & Health Expo.Among the keynote speakers are Brindha McDonald, ...moreEnhancing health and safety: Essential controls for managing inclement weather risks for high-risk activities in construction
Introduction:The increasing effects of global warming are leading to more frequent and unpredictable adverse weather. The severity of these conditions is becoming more pronounced, with heavy and continuous rainfall, high winds, and plummeting temperatures in some parts of South Africa. Contractors must adapt health and safety (H&S) co ...more
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