S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.2 No.19, May 16, 2016

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

Please note: Click on any ad to go to the advertiser’s website

Working group to probe SABS policies

Pretoria (SA) – Following Friday’s meeting between the SA Bureau of Standards and a cross section of safety, government tender and civilian footwear manufacturers, convened by the Department of Trade & Industry, a working group of SABS footwear customers has been set up to make recommendations on policy changes relating to testing.
The group is being chaired by Ernest Heunis, chairman of the Skin, Hide & Leather Council. Other members are Mike Vernon (Dick Whittington Shoes), Silvio Ceriani (BBF Safety Group), Tony Vaubell (Mr Price), Jon Robb (Neptun Boot), and Mark Gibbings (Apeco). They will liaise with representatives of the SABS and the DTI.
The group is to report back by mid-June.

Government procurement policy: A complex debate

From a local leather goods manufacturer
With reference to the article on government procurement policies in the last newsletter: This subject has led to quite a fierce debate in the industry. It has many elements to it and it is not limited to just a growth figure or employment figures.
The real winners in South Africa when it comes to procurement are the importers. This has been established a long time ago. If government departments and bodies are only allowed to procure goods from local suppliers, why are conferences full of gifts from these importers? Why has this not been inspected properly? There are a number of suppliers locally who can complete items for the private and public sector, but middlemen who deal directly prefer to use the imported goods as the margins are greater and easier to manage as they take straight off a shelf, instead of dealing with local manufacturers and being hands on.
Our society has become lazy and only knows how to take orders, never considering that local manufacturers can offer better and more innovative ideas. It is up to the government to introduce tariffs on imported goods that can be made locally. However, our trading partners would penalise us in other ways!!!
Therefore, it is not a win-win situation.

‘Fakes coming out of Durban’

Cape Town (SA) – AnnahMae Blair of The New Shoe Design Co. says there are worrying quantities of counterfeit footwear being made in SA.
In a mail, she wrote: “Just checking to see if the industry is aware of all the fake shoes being manufactured out of Durban. These have printed and embroidered Nike and Diesel logos on them. I have been offered and some of my colleagues in Cape Town came across some too. I think it's important to protect our industry from people doing this.” – [+27 (0)83 260 5379, info@thenewshoecompany.com]

Wage negotiations: General Goods & Handbags update

Durban (SA) – Gerald Naidoo, general secretary of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of SA, released the following statement on Friday:
“The second round of the negotiations in the General Goods & Handbag sector ended on 11 May 2016 without the parties being able to reach an agreement. The employers’ organisation tabled its final mandated offer of 7% increase in wages with effect from 1 July 2016. NULAW, the majority union in the sector and the industry, had moved to proposing a 10% increase in wages. They responded to the employers’ offer by saying that although they had not reached their final mandated positions they would have to revert to their members before deciding on the way forward. The parties had earlier agreed that all other provisions in the Collective Agreement would remain unchanged for the period 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017. SACTWU have fallen in line fully with the positions of NULAW.”

Crocs SA: Change of status?

Gordon's Bay (SA) – It appears Crocs SA has reverted back to being a local distributor from being a subsidiary of the international company. It sent an email to customers on March 31 advising them of a change in its email domain names, “owing to our agreements with Crocs Inc”.
Its domain name is now free-form.co.za, and not crocs.com.
In response to a query, a spokeswoman said she was “still awaiting a final press release”.

Crocodile conference: 300 to attend

Over 300 delegates have registered for the Crocodile Specialist Group’s 24th Working Meeting, to be held from May 21-26 at Skukuza, Kruger National Park, according to Howard Kelly, Regional Vice Chairman - IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group, Southern and East Africa.
The theme is “Crocodiles, communities and livelihoods”.
Trade & Industry Minister Rob Davies will address delegates on Thursday 26. – [+27 (0)83 265 9583, h.kelly@venturenet.co.za]

Sweeping survey to research need for Leather Research Institute

Former LIRI, ISTT and Institute for Creative Leather Technologies staff member Karl Flowers is to survey the SA leather industry to measure the need for a revived Leather Research Institute. He will interview all tanneries and many other companies over 2 months.
Starting next Monday, he will give a brief weekly report on the responses he finds. – [+27 (0)74 130 7975, karl@authenticae.co.uk]

Government Contracts – Defense legislation queued up for consideration in both chambers

Source: American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
Washington (DC) – Legislation to authorize the Department of Defense for the coming fiscal year (FY) is slated for consideration in the Senate Armed Services Committee this week, and in the full House next week. The $610 billion FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was approved last month in the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), following the approval of two amendments supporting the Berry Amendment. The first AAFA-supported amendment, offered by Representatives Walter Jones (R-NC), Duncan Hunter (R-CA), and Niki Tsongas (D-MA), eliminated a provision that would have increased the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) from $100,000 to $500,000. Contracts below the SAT are not required to comply with the Berry Amendment. The second AAFA-supported amendment, offered by Representative Tsongas, restored the application of the Berry Amendment to athletic sneakers. Although athletic sneakers are currently required to comply with the Berry Amendment, the Administration sidesteps this requirement by issuing vouchers to recruits for the purchase of these shoes instead of following normal procurement rules. AAFA will closely track these provisions as the NDAA receives further consideration. – [https://www.wewear.org/]

SAFLEC address

Durban (SA) – The SA Footwear & Leather Export Council says a number of firms are still using its old address. Please note the correct details:
Physical address: 4a Stedman Mews, 128 Jan Hofmeyr Drive, Westville
Postal address: PO Box 1002, Wandsbeck 3631
Tel: +27 (0)31 266 1472
Email : info@saflec.co.za

Advanced tests available for children’s sizes

Kettering (UK) – According to a release last week, SATRA has added new foot form sizes to 2 of its laboratory-based tests so that children's footwear can be objectively assessed for thermoregularity.
The SATRA TM376:2009 ‘Advanced moisture management test’ (AMMT) and the SATRA TM436:2010 ‘Determination of whole shoe thermal insulation value and cold rating’ are both carried out using the SATRA STM 567 Endofoot test machine. The Endofoot test machine uses a moulded foot form which incorporates electrical heating elements and water supply pipes that distribute ‘sweat’ (water) to the surface of the foot.
The moulded foot form had previously been available for UK adult sizes 4, 7 and 9; the introduction of UK adult size 1 and child size 10 will ensure that children's footwear can now be tested for thermal and moisture management.
Due to the small size of the new forms, the heating units have been reduced in size and the number of water pipes decreased from eight to six. The test method has been updated to include these changes. – [research@satra.co.uk, www.satra.co.uk]

Reminder: Request to ex-LIRI students – notes needed

Durban (SA) – Podiatrist Anette Thompson is working towards a PhD in Clinical Medicine of the Foot at UKZN.
She urgently requires copies of any or all LIRI lecture material on last making and last design.
Any former LIRI students are requested to check whether they still have their course material, and to contact Anette. She will return all material once she has read it. – [anette.thompson@telmo.co.za]

Milestones

Durban (SA) – Christo Roets closed aftermarket upholsterer Car Trim Auto at the end of January, and is relocating to Cape Town, out of the industry. He ended a previous franchise agreement with McCarthy Auto Trimmers in September before reverting to Car Trim Auto. – [+27 (0)83 788 4280]

Johannesburg (SA) – Kindly note from the 27th May – I will no longer buy footwear for the JET retailer. I will move onto another portfolio within the company. I will advise you on the new buyer’s particulars on the 24th of May. – Sumeya Sha

ABSA Agri Trends 10/05: Hides & skins prices

The average hide price traded higher over the past week at R14.66/kg green. Hide prices are determined by the average of RMAA and independent companies.
The average price for Dorper skins was R60.00/skin and Merino was R91.08/skin.
The average price for ostrich skins dropped 0.88% to R1486.14.

Reader request

Uitenhage (SA) – Zelda Stumke of Aalwynhoek Trust abattoir is looking for men’s size 15 shoes and tekkies. Please contact her at +27 (0)41 492 0626, aalwyn@agnet.co.za.

They Said It

"I am not saying I am Batman, but no one has seen Batman and me in the same room together…." - Rolfes Chemicals leather division GM Quintin Marais.

"When I registered this email address 20 years ago, they told me I could only have 8 letters, so I got rid of one of the ‘l’s." - Wellserve Wholesalers owner Ziyaad Bahadur, explaining why his email address is welserve@internext.co.za. “I could probably change it now,” he said, “but that would be even more confusing.”

"In the States I drive myself, and on the last trip to Texas I found myself on one of those 8-lanes-each-way highways you see on Dallas, at 10 at night, in a car with a GPS that hadn’t been updated – now that was a story." - SCOT marketing director Frik Kriek on driving overseas. In Europe, he finds public transport sufficient, and in the East his agents do the driving.

Birthdays this week

09/05/19??: Sarie de Wet, KKI Leather Marketing, Oudtshoorn.
09/05/1960: Rodney Reynders, left the industry, Durban.
09/05/1963: Don Tully, Groundcover Leather Company, Curry’s Post.
09/05/1949: Mike Millar, MRM Agencies, Johannesburg.
10/05/1950: Brian da Costa, agent, Port Elizabeth.
10/05/1971: Ashraf Kathrada, Catz, Cape Town.
11/05/1945: David Maisey, emigrated, formerly Brondean Agencies, Port Elizabeth.
11/05/1951: Walter Kurth, emigrated, formerly Corbeau, Cape Town.
12/05/1946: Gordon Howie, The Runner group, Johannesburg.
12/05/1952: Louise Pelser, SAFLEC, Durban.
13/05/19??: Carol Roberts, Trailmix Trading.
13/05/1934: Dennis Linde, retired, formerly SAFLIA, Pinetown.
13/05/1980: Hayley Mitchell, Silkworm, Johannesburg.
14/05/1950: Phillip Fox, Jumbo Footwear, East London.
15/05/1974: Brett Isaacs, BMI Agencies, Johannesburg.
15/05/1941: Pieter van Niekerk, retired, formerly Midland Leather KZN (Gringo), Port Shepstone.

In Memoriam this week

10/05/2011: Albino Rodrigues De Oliveira (b. 09/01/1944), Andreoli Shoes/Giorgio Marelli/Sabrina Shoes [all closed], Durban.
12/05/2011: Charles Burger (b. 28/12/1968), Klein Karoo International, Oudtshoorn.
14/05/2010: Peter Edginton (b. 19/11/1949), Front Edge Technologies, Johannesburg.
15/05/2010: Louis Conradie (b. 26/06/1935), Conloo Joinery, Welkom.

Trade Fair dates

For a list of local and international trade fairs covering footwear, leather goods, leather and PPE, visit our website: http://www.svmag.co.za/events.php

Classified Adverts

2016 Directories

We have limited stocks of 2016 Directories available @ R450 each (VAT inclusive). We also offer 12 months’ access to the Directory online at the same price.

Email tony@svmag.co.za for details

Contact us

News & Classifieds: Tony Dickson, +27 (0)31 209 7505, tony@svmag.co.za

Next newsletter: May 23, 2016.

Should you wish to subscribe email tony@svmag.co.za
Our website www.svmag.co.za