S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.2 No.43, October 31, 2016

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

This Newsletter is sponsored by SAFLIA

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Sutherland business rescue attorneys in talks with potential investor

Pietermaritzburg (SA) – The fate of Sutherland Tannery (Pty) Ltd may rest on the sale of some or all of the business to one of a number of potential investors, according to the business rescue team currently investigating options. One of the possible investors is a Hong Kong-based investor, apparently the same entity Sutherland MD Wynand Hart was referring to when he told S&V in August that talks with a Chinese-based potential investor had fallen through.
        Sutherland was put into business rescue on October 24, under the supervision of attorneys Stowell & Co.
        Director John Michau said the first creditors’ meeting would be held next Monday, November 7, and that his colleague, Neil Button, was currently in talks with Sutherland’s banker, ABSA.
        Sutherland is the result of a merger last year between Crafcor Hart Hides (Pty) Ltd and Sutherlands Tannery (Pty) Ltd, forming a vertical company which processes raw hides to wet blue and crust for export, and finished leather for the domestic footwear and leather goods industry. Hart and Craig Munro are the directors.
        A second company, Leather from Hart (Pty) Ltd, which produces veg tanned leathers for saddlery and similar products, is not part of the business rescue. Directors of that company are Hart and his wife, Petro, and the business is managed by his son, Lemar.

Stuttafords to file for business rescue

Extracts from www.iol.co.za
Johannesburg (SA) – Stuttafords said on Friday that it was seeking voluntary business.
“Over the last two years, Stuttafords has embarked on an aggressive repositioning - consolidating stores by eliminating loss-making locations and investing in a narrower, more efficient brand and category assortment that resonates more effectively with the younger black market.”
        Despite these improvements, the company had not been able to fully mitigate the effects of the tough economic climate and the impact of customer migration to lower-priced products.
        Stuttafords chief executive Robert Amoils says the “impact of the prevailing retail climate on the company’s turnovers and stock turns (as from January 2016) has been far more dramatic than we could ever have anticipated”.
        Stuttafords has 12 department stores; 9 in South Africa, 1 in Namibia and 2 in Botswana in addition to its 16 stand-alone mono-brand stores trading under the likes of Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger and Ted Baker. It used to have GAP outlets, but these have since closed.
        In 2009, Stuttafords was bought by a consortium led by Ellerine Brothers and Vestacor as it battled high debt and as South Africa tightened its credit lending criteria to customers.
Stuttafords has tried to trim its costs and has consolidated head office infrastructures into one centralised location, invested in a comprehensive customer relationship management system and enhanced “the visual appeal of its stores”.
        Stuttafords said it had entered a strategic partnership with RCS, the largest provider of outsourced retail credit programmes in South Africa in 2015 to offer accessible credit to its customers. However, takeup has been lower than expected, it says, as customer manage their other payments.
        Amoils said business rescue would give the company space to streamline its operations and recapitalise its balance sheet.
        If adopted, a business rescue plan “will not only minimise stakeholder and supplier loses and uncertainties, but also enable a rapid and effective repositioning of the company’s operations and financial structure”, he said. Main stakeholders who will have to vote on the plan include Nedbank, its shareholders and suppliers. The company, which has had 4 CEOs in the past decade, aims to defer presentation of the plan to stakeholders unto February, which it believes will allow it to capitalise on the festive season.

Fanci-Form sold

Durban (SA) – Fernand Vandenheede has sold last maker Fanci-Form to Glyn Giani and Jeremy Eaton. Giani is the proprietor of Footwear Design & Technology School. Eaton is his financial backer.
        Vandenheede, who owns and runs mould maker Galabiss, bought Fanci-Form earlier this year from his sister and brother, Linda and Leo, after she suffered a stroke.
        He had hoped to revive the business himself, but he said he had not been able to find the time to do so. He declined to reveal the price.
        Further information in a forthcoming issue of S&V Footwear and Leather Goods.

DTI’s support for CTFL sectors to be reviewed

Extract from the Minister of Finance’s speech last week
“Reviewing incentive programmes Government provides a range of direct support to business. For example, the Clothing and Textiles Competitiveness Programme has helped to stabilise the sector. The Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme has approved projects worth about R28 billion, supporting an estimated 200 000 jobs. The Automotive Production and Development Programme has contributed to increased exports. Given increased pressures on the fiscus, these incentives, including direct transfers, tax and tariff rebates and concessional financing are being reviewed. The review is intended to assess performance, determine value for money, and analyse how the system as a whole supports the economy and job creation. The review is expected to be completed by October 2017.” – [See page 21 http://www.treasury.gov.za/documents/mtbps/2016/mtbps/MTBPS%202016%20Full%20Document.pdf]

APLF: New dates for 2018 and 2019

Hong Kong – APLF has been held at the end of March for three decades but due to the proximity of the Easter vacation from 2018 onwards a decision has been taken to move the dates forward by approximately two weeks to mid-March. The new dates of APLF and Fashion Access are:
        • 14 - 16 March 2018 (Wed - Fri)
        • 13 - 15 March 2019 (Wed - Fri) – [www.leatherfair.aplf.com and www.fashionaccess.aplf.com]

Export councils ‘must protect market share in Africa’

Durban (SA) – The DTI expects SA’s exporters to sharpen their strategies, especially in Africa.
        Speaking after a 2-day workshop for all export councils and DTI-registered associations held by Team Export SA (TESA) last week, SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) executive director Nerisha Jairaj said the emphasis was on maintaining and growing SA’s trade, particularly in Africa.
        “Our main advantage is proximity,” she said, “but there’s a lot of competition entering our playground, especially from China, and from the USA, Turkey and many more. They come offering packages including infrastructure development with financial backing.
        “One of the topics at the workshop was to find out how much our private sector and Government could work together to protect and grow our market share in Africa.”
        She said TESA planned to meet all export councils to discuss ideas and strategies. Dates have still to be confirmed. – [+27 (0)31 266 1472, info2@saflec.co.za]

Boxing clever as export funding tightens

Durban (SA) – The DTI is tightening up on funding for trade missions abroad, which has caught some companies off guard.
        “There are 2 issues,” SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) chairman Sanjay Pattundeen said. “The first is a restriction on the number of shows per annum that the DTI will fund. The other is a restriction on the number of times a firm can be sponsored by the DTI to exhibit.
        “These rules have been there all along,” he said. “They’re just being stricter in the application.”
        At present, no company may be sponsored more than 4 times – in total, not just in the course of a year.
        “Obviously we must comply with the rules, but we’re contesting that rule,” he said. “Our motivation is that to gain traction in a market, a company must exhibit a number of times, and preferably consecutively.”
        He said another option open to SAFLEC was to partner with other “structures” which also have access to funding for exhibitions.
        SAFLEC members will be among the 10 companies taking part in the trade mission to Fashion World Japan next week, but the delegation is under the auspices of the SA Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC). All of the exhibitors will be showing exotic leather products, which both organisations agreed would be more appropriate for SA to show in Japan than other categories of footwear and leather goods.
        “There are a number of other bodies we can partner with, like the SA Fashion Council, TIKZN, and others, and we’ve done so already,” he said. “Nerisha (Jairaj, executive director of SAFLEC) is pretty resourceful at finding those opportunities.”

Milestone

Johannesburg (SA) – Dangee Carken’s Urbanart brand has chalked up a remarkable 100 026 Facebook likes, and counting, MD Robby Stoller reported on Friday. It plans a consumer media splash to celebrate.

Reader request

Cape Town (SA) – Inshaaf Amos wishes to start a business selling women’s footwear in sizes 1-4.
        She writes: “I'm struggling to find a supplier who is willing to assist a start up with small quantities – say 10 pairs of a size and colour and style. My aim is to start small and self fund. I need to resolve this issue for so many petite feet ladies.”
        She would like to source women’s work and fashion footwear, including high heel shoes, in synthetic upper materials, and under her own brand. – [+27 (0)79 897 1988, inshaaf@outlook.com]

Events

Durban (SA) – Safety footwear distributor Treadsafe is celebrating 21 years in business, and member Rob McCann is taking his entire staff on a 2-day ‘cruise to nowhere’ on the cruise ship Sinfonia on November 5. Going along for the ride is Bheki Mbokazi from Vikeleka Clothing, who won a draw held for Treadsafe’s customers.

Diary

November 8-10: ATF Exhibition, CTICC, Cape Town. See above.
November 12: Cobblers’ Lunch, Goodwood Sports Club, Milton Road, Goodwood. Contact any of the following: Pierre Marais, (083 441 8728, pierrefm61@gmail.com), Anthony Lopez (082 879 4657, sales@lopezleathers.co.za), Voden Wearne (082 446 6871, voden.wearne@apeco.co.za), Brian Schenck (083 637 0383, kenlyn@telkomsa.net).
November 18: KKI AGM, Oudtshoorn. Contact Celeste Sinden (+27 (0)44 203 5250, kkiadmin@kki.com)

NRCS road show for levy consultations
Pretoria, SA – The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) will be holding ‘consultation sessions’ in Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town to discuss levies.
Pretoria: 11/11 at 10.00, SABS Campus, Groenkloof, RSVP Zamo Mthsali, 012 482 8762, Zamo.mtshali@nrcs.org.za
Durban: 14/11 at 10.00, Unit 13 Cedar Park Industrial Estate, 3 Quarry Park Place, Briardene, RSVP Tony Konigkramer, 031 533 6700, Tony.konigkramer@nrcs.org.za
Port Elizabeth: 16/11 at 10.00, 25 & 26, Willow Road Business Park, Willow Road, Fairview, RSVP Steven Titus, 041 398 6900, Steven.titus@nrcs.org.za
Cape Town: 21/11 at 10.00, 14 Railway Rd, Montagu Gardens, RSVP Meisie Katz, 021 526 3400, Meisie.katz@nrcs.org.za

They Said It

"I call him Mr Mini-Pollock, because he does all the things Mr Pollock used to do." - Jordan Shoes receptionist Eva Amsterdam, talking about Bronx men’s and women’s sales manager, Marc Lailvaux.
"Well yes, but he’s not as Billy Whizzy as Brian used to be." - Jordan MD’s PA Maria Henry, when she heard the quote above. Billy Whizzy?

ABSA Agri Trends 18/10: Hides & skins prices

The average bovine hide price over the past week was R15.16/kg green. Hide prices are determined by the average of RMAA and independent companies.
        The average price for Dorper skins was R29.00/skin and Merino was R77.08/skin.

Birthdays this week

31/10/19??: Ofer Ardenbaum, formerly Tiago Trading [closed].
31/10/1961: Deidre Harte, LTE, Cape Town.
01/11/19??: Bob Brown, Crown Footwear, Pinetown.
01/11/1957: Anthony le Roux Agussi Crafts, Franschhoek.
01/11/1940: Innes Rhind, retired, formerly Crispin Industries, Botswana [closed].
01/11/1942: Laurence Smith, PMC Components, Cape Town.
02/11/1936: Alastair Gardner, retired, formerly Panther Shoes [closed], Cape Town.
02/11/1934: Hawa Shaikh, Amshu Distributors, Greytown.
02/11/1928: Joe Vivian, agent, Cape Town.
02/11/1962: Jan Morgan, Morgan Hides, Pretoria.
03/11/1976: Voden Wearne, Apeco, Cape Town.
03/11/1979: Orian Mendes, Shuler Enterprises, Harare.
04/11/19??: Jim Butterworth, retired, formerly Elliott Footwear [closed], Crown Footwear and Martin Johnson [closed], Durban.
04/11/1962: Philip A Carstens, Carstens’ Orthotic Laboratories, Durbanville.
05/11/1949: Tubby Hannaford, retired, formerly Moulded Comfort Products [closed], New Germany.
06/11/1950: Idris Kajee, Favourite Sports, Newcastle.

In Memoriam this week

03/11/2007: Ahmed ‘Bull’ Patel, hand stitching CMT operator, Greytown.
03/11/2010: Grahame Steele (b. 17/04/1929), Budget Footwear [closed], Durban.
04/11/1998: Roy Schefermann, Futura Footwear.
05/11/1998: Bob Gould, SB Agencies [closed], Pinetown.
05/11/2013: Brian de Bruin (b. 26/09/1941), DB Components, Durban.

Do you have any names you’d like to add to our list of birthdays and In Memoriam? Please send the details.

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

Footwear agent looking for agencies in kids’, ladies’ and men's for Gauteng. 32 years experience. Contact Keith Baptista 082 809 1040.

2016 Directories

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Email tony@svmag.co.za for details

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: November 7, 2016.

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