S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No8 August 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- Mr Price Sport: ‘Brands small – but important – part of our business’, says MD Anthony Findlay.
- Plastics manufacturer Igus and e-bike manufacturer Advanced Bikes develop first recyclable plastic bicycle frame.
- Arena Trims moves.
05 Export & Trade
- SAFLEC AGM: Trade with SACU down, trade with non-African world up, leather the star performer, finances a concern – a mixed year, but ‘expect the recovery after the storm’.
08 Profile
- Cape Town’s extended Gottardo clan: Multiple businesses and a shared passion for leather, from bags to furniture.
14 Government’s Master Plans
- Alternative to master plans isn’t anarchy, says Dr Morné Malan of the Free Market Foundation.
14 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- Drip Footwear’s financial crisis – a cautionary tale.
20 Technology
- Huntsman to launch new footwear soling for running, hiking and safety.
20 Financial Results
- Vans is still in freefall, ‘but VF Corporation’s rate of decline has moderated’.
- Second half improvement for Rip Curl and Kathmandu owner KMD Brands.
Advertisers in this Issue
BBF Safety Group (OFC), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (02), FrontierCo/Busby (06), Haesloop Agencies (10), Kaytex Belts (12), Leather Finishing Products (16), Saddler Belts (04), SAFLEC (07), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (21), Shotland Packing (14).
The Next Issue:
- Out on 18 September 2024.
- Plastics 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 ...moreSAFLEC 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. ...moreAn extended family with multiple businesses, and a shared passion
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – It’s a complicated leather dynasty covering 2 generations and 6 family members (so far), mixed heritages, and 4 varied businesses which have 2 things in common – they use leather, and they rely on design creativity to produce saleable products.Tiziano Gottardo and his son from his third marriage, ...moreDrip Footwear’s financial crisis - a cautionary tale
Rapid Expansion BackfiresDrip Footwear, a once-promising South African sneaker brand, is facing a severe financial crisis that has sparked intense scrutiny and debate. The company’s rapid expansion into shopping malls has backfired spectacularly, leaving it with a R20 million debt, a foreign exchange blunder, and the looming threat ...moreMr Price Sport: ‘Brands small – but important – part of our business’Durban, KZN, SA – Mr Price Sport will continue to look for opportunities to carry branded products, MD Anthony Findlay says.“Brands make up 10% to 15% of our merchandise, which may be small, but it’s an important part of the selection.”Through a collab with the SA distributor of U.S. brand Everlast, which is associ ...moreAlternative to master plan is not anarchyNote: This article is about the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition’s master plans as a concept, not about the R-CTFL Master Plan specifically. ...moreHuntsman to launch new footwear soling for running, hiking and safety.The Woodlands, Texas, U.S. – Huntsman’s Polyurethanes business will launch a ‘gripping’ new soling development for the footwear industry at the NW Materials Show at the end of August.The new portfolio of high performing thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) products is aimed at footwear brands producing running, hiking ...moreVans still in freefall, ‘but VF rate of decline moderated’VF Corporation reports first quarter fiscal 2025 results and reiterates FY25 free cash flow guidanceDenver, U.S. (06 August 2024) - VF Corporation today reported financial results for its first quarter (Q1'FY25) ended June 29, 2024, announcing a quarterly per share dividend of $0.09.Bracken Darrell, President and CEO, said: "As I com ...moreRip Curl, Kathmandu owner KMD Brands preliminary result: Second half improvementChristchurch, New Zealand (20 August 2024) – KMD Brands Limited provides the following unaudited preliminary results for the year ending 31 July 2024 (“FY24”): Rip Curl and Kathmandu sales have shown continued improvement on first half sales trends during both the third and fourth quarters of FY24, as outlined below. ...more
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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 ...moreNational Leather and General Goods Strategy WorkshopOn 23 June, following months of fieldwork, B&M Analysts (BMA) hosted an online workshop to discuss the recovery of the handbags, belts, travel goods and allied manufacturing industries in SA.The industries, although very diverse, fall under the General Goods & Handbags Sector of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Indus ...moreManufacturer-buyer event: Results still to be tallied, but broad enthusiasm for more
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 ...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 ...moreThe leather value chain offers opportunities for all SADC countriesThe Southern African Regional Leather Network (SARLEN) and the SADC Leather Forum present a great opportunity for the development of the leather value chains (LVCs) in all or most SADC states, whose LVCs are at different stages of development.in Zimbabwe we already have a well-structured LVC coordinated by an apex body, the Zimbabwe Leath ...moreSADC Leather Forum unites 16 member states to strengthen the regional leather industry
The Southern African Development Community’s Regional Leather Forum met in Durban, South Africa, in August. Nerisha Jairaj and Jacob Nyathi explain different aspects. ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Global stage for occupational safety innovations: exhibitor registration for A+A 2027 has begun
Düsseldorf, Germany – The next A+A fair will be held from 19 to 22 October 2027.Since 16 June 2026 exhibitors have been able to register for A+A 2027. Companies and organisations from around the world are invited to introduce their innovations and solutions for safety and health at work and sustainable prevention to an int ...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 ...moreRealPPE Marketplace: Where safety meets smarter procurementRealPPE Marketplace is a 100% black women-owned B2B PPE marketplace built for South African industry. Founded after years of witnessing safety officers and procurement teams lose time to fragmented suppliers, inconsistent pricing, and missing documentation, RealPPE was created to bring structure and reliability to industrial PPE sourcing. ...more
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