2016 S&V Newsletter No 03, January 25

S&V Footwear and Leather Goods / S&V African Leather

Tsonga on BBC World News

Pietermaritzburg (SA) – Corrida Shoes’ Tsonga division featured in a 3-minute clip on BBC World News’ Africa Business Report on January 15.
In an introduction on its website, Africa Business Report said: “Although not always the case, African companies that export manufactured goods to the US and Europe should benefit from the fall in local currencies. This has definitely been the case for Tsonga, a South African family-owned businesses that sells hand-crafted shoes and other leather products overseas.”
Brand manager Tracey Wood said she had shared put the link on Tsonga’s Facebook page, and over that weekend around 8 500 people had viewed it. Also, Corrida received several business enquiries. This is the link: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35326560

Jacobs Capital go-ahead to buy Gelvenor

Durban (SA) – Jacobs Capital, which acquired a majority stake in workwear manufacturer MB Workwear in July last year, was given the go-ahead to buy Gelvenor Textiles, according to a release from the Competition Commission on December 3.
Gelvenor is a supplier to MB Workwear.
“The Commission has approved, without conditions, the intermediate merger whereby Jacobs Capital (Pty) Ltd intends to acquire Gelvenor Consolidated. Post-merger, Jacobs Capital will control Gelvenor Consolidated. 
  “Jacobs Capital is a private equity firm and also provides management and advisory services to companies where it has investments.
  “Gelvenor Consolidated is a synthetic fabric manufacturer. It manufactures and sells the following products: ballistic fabrics, industrial fabrics, aeronautical fabrics and apparel fabrics.”

Olympic launches new cycling range

The Crank is Olympic’s 445g “entry-level shoe for the MTB rider who is just starting out”. Top of the range is the the 292g Racing Road, which “offers futuristic design lines and is begging to get on the road to perform at top level”.

Cape Town (SA) – Jordan Shoes’ Olympic International sportswear brand has launched a 6-style shoe range covering road- and mountain biking, and indoor riding, along with cycling shirts, shorts and bibs. Suggested footwear retail prices start at R950 and go up to R1500, which are relatively low price points. The clothing will retail from R700. – [< href="http://www.olympic-sport.co.za">www.olympic-sport.co.za or www.facebook.com/Olympic-International]

ABSA Agri Trends 15/01: Hides & skins prices

The average hide price traded slightly higher over the past week at R13,45/kg green due to currency fluctuations. Hide prices are determined by the average of RMAA and independent companies.
The average price for Dorper skins traded higher at R83.13/skin and Merino also traded higher at R84.89/skin.

They Said It

"Our trainees are up to any challenge. We have quite a problem with Vervet monkeys in Great Brak. Where a window is left open, one can be sure to risk losing something: either one’s lunch or in this case, one’s prototype.
"Therése Conradie, one of our design trainees, left her office window open and a monkey came in and found her designs too attractive to leave alone and escaped with a sample.
Therése would not give up on her prototype so easily and managed to get the monkey to drop its take before disappearing into the bush. It left the prototype on the far end of the parapet wall where Theresé managed to retrieve it, quite a risky exercise as the pictures will show.
"Never a dull moment in Great Brak!" - Marius Ferreira, Cluster Manager, Southern Cape Regional Footwear Cluster

Milestones

Durban (SA) – Ahmed Shaikh has left Hopewell Footwear to join Spectrum Footwear.

Kampala (Uganda) – – Dutch shoemaker Willem van Delft, who spent most of his career working in various African countries, died in August last year.
Robert Semakula, MD of Bobbie Leather Ltd in Uganda, in fact emailed through that information last September, and it is my fault for not reading his correspondence properly.

Birthdays this week

25/01/1973: Reggi Xaba, Zetu Shoes, Durban.
25/01/1951: André Pelser, retired, formerly Mossop-Western Leathers, Wellington.
26/01/1958: André Compion, PMC, Pinetown.
26/01/1982: Adeeb Moosa, Deebo Sales, Cape Town.
26/01/1962: PT Harrower, C&B Harrower Agencies, Johannesburg.
26/01/1973: Lou Harvey, Lou Harvey Company, Durban.
27/01/1969: Ashraf Saley, Nizam’s Enterprises, Azaadville.
28/01/1944: Martina van Jaarsveld, Martina Shoe Boutique, Brandhof.
29/01/1973: Nelesh Gulab, Shawney’s Shoes/Walk Tall, Johannesburg.
29/01/1983: Zubairr Sadak, Shoe Talk, Durban.
31/01/1971: Ashley Benjamin, NULAW, Durban.
31/01/1961: Andy Williams, Agent, Cape Town.

In Memoriam this week

26/01/2006: Victor Ronald (Vic) Van Der Weele (b. 21/10/1916), SA Mercantile [closed], Cape Town.
25/01/2014: Barry Kruger (b. 20/06/1944), Richleigh Shoes [closed] and Corrida Shoes, Pietermaritzburg.
27/01/2008: Jacob Anagnostakis (b. 03/04/1929), Watson Shoes, Great Brak River.
28/01/2004: David Aaron (b. 12/03/1939), Natal Shoe Components/Natalie Footwear [closed], Durban.
28/01/1997: Peter O'Brien, Buckman Laboratories, Hammarsdale.
29/01/1998: Peter Buglass, NPI, Durban.

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