Benoni, Gauteng, SA – “We’ve just put our spikes and rugby boots on display, and customers have seen them, felt them, touched them, so we’re starting to kick off there and we’ve had some sales,” Graham Butler, manager of Ekspa’s Benoni store, said on Saturday. “School shoe sales have been amazing. We’re basically sold out on all our brands. I don’t know how other retailers are doing, but we’ve been blessed.” 

Queenstown, E. Cape, SA – Mid-December to end March are the busiest selling periods for sports footwear and equipment, Jerome Kent, trustee of Louis’ Sports, said on Friday.

“Cricket is quite big at the moment, soccer is starting to pick up, and running is picking up nicely,” he said.

Schools are the biggest part of his business. “We cover a broad area,” he said.

Asics is his biggest brand overall, but several others have growing.

He said there had been no issues with receiving stock. 

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Veldskoen Shoes, which went into business rescue in July last year, “is alive and thriving”, BR practitioner Julian Empedocles, of Almaz Consulting, said on Friday.

He said the company was focusing on tour groups “and on the South African market generally”, and that its financial position was improving.

“In the coming months, we’ll change the board of directors to ensure it’s a long lasting business, and we expect it to come out of business rescue during the year.” 

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Ed van Wezel, son of Hi-Tec Sports Distributors (Pty) Ltd founder Frank van Wezel, has been appointed CEO following the departure of former CEO Gary de Vogel. Former national sales director Mike Farrer has returned as MD. Esmé Coetzee remains CFO. 

Durban, KZN, SA – Berzack Brothers (Pty) Ltd has appointed Michael Ball as GM of its Coats division following the retirement of Ashley Naidoo at the end of December.