S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No3 March 2024
Click the advert links for more info. • Download PDF
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
- Duty evasion, false country of origin and labelling main targets: NCC and SARS ‘sign MoU to strengthen compliance’Media statement issued jointly by the National Consumer Commission (NCC) and SA Revenue Service (SARS)Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (06 May 2026) – The National Consumer Commission (NCC) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance consumer protection against the proliferation of ...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 ...moreObituary: Vic Jablowski, BUSM, Protech V (03/09/1953-11/12/2025): One of those who survived BU’s closure
Durban, KZN, SA – My dad – was AMAZING.Born in 1953, he married Evelyn in 1979. My sister, Luanne Hough, was born in 1980, and I followed in 1983.A family man who made sure he supported his family in the most wonderful ways; he was also a loyal company man who worked most of his life for British United Shoe Machinery.But when ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- African leather businesses holding LWG and SLF ratingsAs African leather manufacturers strive to grow their exports, the number which have qualified for ratings by the Leather Working Group (LWG) and the Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) is growing.By country, LWG lists the following:Algeria: Sarl Tannerie Ain FakrounBurkina Faso: Mona Industry SARL.Egypt: El Montaza Tannery, Piel Color C ...moreBarnini installs spray booth in SA
Castelfranco di Sotto (PI), Italy – Leather spray equipment manufacturer Barnini Srl has installed an automatic rotary spray booth at an unnamed South African tannery. ...moreImproving the strength and softness of crust leather through pressure treatment
IntroductionRetanning and fatliquoring have a major impact on the characteristics of leather, whereas dyeing and the finishing concentrate on the appearance of the leather. Various retanning agents and fatliquoring agents have been developed to improve the softness and mechanical strength of leather, parameters that are important to the b ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- The 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 ...moreWhat if the respirator you rely on to protect your health never sealed properly?
I had the opportunity to present at the first PPE Conference in RSA, where I shared some early work we) have been exploring towards developing respirator designs better suited to the South African population.Below is a short AI-generated summary of the core message of the presentation.Respirators are often the last line of defence against ...morePremier Workwear: Engineered protection for Africa’s industrial workforce
In high-risk industrial environments, protective clothing is far more than a uniform requirement — it is a critical component of workplace safety, operational reliability and regulatory compliance. For procurement professionals, safety managers and operational leaders, selecting the right supplier means finding a partner capable of ...more
© S&V Publications
