Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - The Southern African Vinyls Association’s inaugural “Innovation in PVC” conference will take place on Wednesday, 30 August 2023, at Sasol Place in Sandton. The programme and speakers are available here: programme

The conference brings together industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders to discuss advances and trends in the PVC industry, exploring topics from global and local perspectives on the state of the PVC industry to breakthroughs in raw materials, PVC recycling, and new end-markets for both rigid and flexible PVC.

Among the dspeakers will be Dr Ned Monroe, President and CEO of the Vinyl Institute and newly elected chairman of the Global Vinyl Council; David Mokomela, Vice President Base Chemicals at Sasol; and Daniel Martinz, Business Development Manager: Specialty Vinyls at INEOS Inovyn who will deliver a presentation on the winners of last year’s INOVYN Awards which recognises those at the forefront of innovation with vinyl in Europe.

“Each of the speakers will bring a unique perspective and wealth of knowledge to the conference, promising an enlightening and engaging experience for attendees,” says Monique Holtzhausen, CEO of SAVA. “We believe that this conference will offer an unparalleled opportunity for networking, learning, and inspiration and that it will serve as a catalyst for innovation in the PVC industry - driving progress and promoting sustainable practices. By facilitating knowledge exchange and collaboration, the event aims to empower attendees with valuable insights and inspire them to take bold steps towards a thriving future for PVC”.

Local PVC industry players, recyclers, and manufacturers will showcase their products and services in an exhibition area.

The sponsors include Sasol, Alpha Plast, Continental Compounders, Isegen SA, and Sun Ace SA. Their commitment to the industry and dedication to advancing innovation in PVC is commendable.

“We look forward to welcoming speakers, exhibitors and attendees from around the country and the world to engage in fruitful discussions, forge connections, and drive innovation in the South African PVC sector,” Monique concludes.

Registrations are still open and tickets for the conference can be purchased online at https://app.glueup.com/event/innovation-in-pvc-conference-77629/. SAVA members pay R2000 + VAT, while non-SAVA members can join the event for R2500 + VAT. The attendance fee covers coffee and tea breaks, lunch, the cocktail function, and conference materials.

For more information, please visit www.savinyls.co.za or email Conference@savinyls.co.za or CEO@savinyls.co.za 

Durban, KZN, SA –I think most businesses had quite a good winter. Boots are being heavily discounted now, but that’s the end of season and everyone is clearing the last of their stock in preparation for summer. However, summer is proving slow. Retailers are taking a wait-and-see attitude, not wanting to commit too far forward, waiting to see how the rest of the year unfolds.

Overall, I’d say everyone is ticking along, but it’s very tough. There are definitely no fireworks out there. Inflation is still sticky, load shedding is an ongoing problem. It’s another year to hang in there.

We’re carrying stock, which is gold at the moment, and we’ve placed orders going forward.

Despite the exchange rate, I don’t see it as a viable option to deal with local manufacturers. Most chains and mini chains are dealing with them directly anyway and don't need to go through a wholesaler. 

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Branded sports goods are a tight and tricky space at the moment. There are various factors – all the usual ones plus, in our case, emigration, because those are the LSMs who can afford those products.

Of course, we negotiate with our principals to get best prices, but they are international brands, and the exchange rate makes things worse.

Our business is very seasonal – basically January to April, the back-to-school period. I would guess that school children make up 80%-90% of our market. The club market, in most sports, has declined.

I think that because prices have risen as much as they have, many kids are getting a combined birthday and Christmas present – a cricket bat, say.

Another factor is that a few chains – Totalsports, Mr Price Sport, Makro – have probably over 500 doors, so apart from the small number of really good independents, there’s not much space for other retailers to get into sports goods.

My guess is that over time the number of brands in South Africa will reduce and that there will be less choice. Nonetheless, we have no intention of quitting. 

Footwear News reported last week that the appointment of new Wolverine Worldwide CEO Christopher Hufnagel – following the “sudden firing” of Brendan Hoffman – had analysts “feeling overall positive about the leadership change”.

“In the wake of the move, which occurred in tandem with a weak earnings report for the second quarter and a downgraded full-year outlook, analysts appeared overall positive about Hufnagel’s ability to help ignite growth for the company, which owns the Saucony, Merrell, Sperry and Sweaty Betty brands, among others.”

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – With consumers prioritising essentials, and the solar power industry and other energy alternatives taking a big slice of disposable income generally, the market for apparel is quite tough. We have to work for our money, we have to try to do a better job than everyone else, we have to concentrate on basics, and we have to offer quicker turnaround times, but it’s not impossible.

It’s also winter, which is traditionally a difficult season for us, and we’re hoping summer will be much better.

Our speciality is locally made leather footwear, under our own brands, Hedgehogs, Hippocreek, Igloo, and WolfRock, and leather care products, under our brand ShoeMakers Choice.

We don’t own the factories, but we have very close working relationships – real partnerships – with them.

They know how to make shoes, we know how to sell them.