S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.2 No.49, December 12, 2016

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

This Newsletter is sponsored by SAFLIA

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

Best wishes for the Festive Season

We wish our readers a wonderful Festive Season. For those who are working over this period, we wish you every success. We will be back on January 9. You are welcome to email information throughout this period.

Plan for new NFLC presented to IDC

Pretoria (SA) – A future National Footwear & Leather Cluster (NFLC) will consist of a handful of decentralised staff, with no assets of its own, helping implement various programmes being run by other bodies, if the recommendations by the team set up to research it are accepted by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).
        In terms of a plan presented to the IDC’s Clothing & Textiles Competitiveness Programme (CTCP) sector desk on Friday by Ernest Heunis, acting executive manager of the NFLC, the new NFLC would have an executive manager, a footwear and leather goods manager, and a leather, components and materials manager, along with 3 part-time support staff.
        The footwear team would be based in KZN and the leather team probably in Gauteng.
        “It would be an implementing agency for interventions of various kinds,” he said. High on that list would be training – from operator level to tertiary education – as well as benchmarking, advising on the formation of new sub-national clusters, and post-tender verification of preferential procurement (essentially confirming that products which are claimed to be locally made in fact are). It would not conduct any of these projects itself; it would recruit and finance others to do so.
        The NFLC is intended to supplement the activities of existing industry bodies like SAFLIA, SAFLEC, SATEO and SHALC, not duplicate them.
        He said there was no timeline, but that he hoped the IDC would approve the plan by the end of January.
        Meanwhile, the IDC is continuing its forensic audit into the former NFLC.

Hi-Tec PLC sold, founder retains SA operation

Cape Town (SA) – Hi-Tec Sports PLC, the Netherlands-based apparel company, has been sold to the US-based Cherokee Global Brands, according to an announcement on November 29.
        However, Hi-Tec founder Frank van Wezel has retained the South African operation as a distributor and licensee of the Hi-Tec and Magnum brands.

The Hub conducts validation workshop in support of Kenya's leather sector

Published on December 08, 2016
On December 8, the Hub held a Kenya Leather Industry Development Program Diagnostic Study Validation Workshop in partnership with its grantee, IL&FS Cluster Development Initiative Limited. The workshop provided IL&FS Cluster with an opportunity to present the findings of its Kenya Leather Industry Development Program Diagnostic Study and to solicit feedback from relevant stakeholders. The ultimate objective is to develop a report that clearly diagnoses the status of the Kenya leather sector.
        “The workshop was very good and great for the industry because the team that was given the mandate to undertake the diagnostic study have done an excellent job. The information they have given to us is a true reflection of the industry,” said Moses Mwangi a Trainer Footwear Technology at Training and Production Centre for Shoe Industry.
        In early October, IL&FS Cluster Development Initiative Limited conducted a diagnostic study and assessed skill-related gaps across different segments of Kenya’s leather value chain. The IL&FS leather expert identified the following issues as some of the challenges hindering growth of the Kenya’s leather sector: low recovery and lack of quality hides and skins, low levels of modernization and upgradation of technologies, lack of adequate infrastructure, limited access to market information and input supplies, over dependence on traditional skill and low labor productivity due to inadequate formal training/unskilled manpower.
        The Kenya Leather Industry Development Program comprises a series of capacity-building interventions all along the leather value chain aimed at improving the sector’s performance. – [http://www.eatradehub.org]

Software package Shoepack re-launched

Durban (SA) – Crown Footwear founder Bob Brown has sold software company Shoepack to its GM, Sean Hadnum. Shoepack was originally written for Crown when it was a manufacturer. This is his description of the package:
What is Shoepack?

• The only software in SA written specifically for the footwear industry.
• Tells you what materials to buy & when to buy them.
• Ensures full stock control (Issues & Returns to Production, Stock Transfers, Stock Adjustments, Issues to Supplier, Stock Take)
• Includes Bill of Materials, Costings, Sub-assemblies, Work Orders, Production Orders, Sales Orders (Made for Stock & to Order), Production Tracking, Finished Goods Management, Delivery Notes, & Invoices.
• Interfaces with Pastel and can be configured to interface with other accounting packages.

Govt waives tax on leather, textile raw materials

Published on December 05, 2016
In a move designed to boost the Made in Rwanda drive, the government has announced a tax exemption for importation of leather and textile raw materials.
        The decision announced at the weekend was taken in collaboration with local leather and textile manufacturers in the face of government’s policy to ban second-hand leather and footwear products.
        The decision became effective Friday, December 2, 2016.
        Innocent Safari, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Trade, Industry and EAC Affairs (MINEACOM), explained at the weekend that the exemption applies to both import duties and Value Added Tax (VAT). Read more. Source | New Times – [http://www.eatradehub.org]

ACA: Retirement, change of structure

Cape Town (SA) – Andy Sandison, MD of ACA Threads for the past 16 years, retires at the end of this year. ACA Group CEO Eckhard Marshing said the interim plan was that instead of appointing a new MD, the 3 top managers – operations manager Chris Handt, financial director Garth Lureman, and national sales manager Hennie Groenewald – would jointly run the business, with more direct input from him. – [+27 (0)21 981 1133, emarshing@acagroup.co.za]

They Said It

"They say you can never be a leader unless you’ve been led." - NULAW Cape Town branch organiser Karen Coetzee.

"I’m not allowed to watch rugby unless I’ve finished all the jobs my wife has put in the job jar. I asked (former agent) Johnny Rodinis whether he also had a job jar, and he said he smashed his years ago." - Agent Ian Gordon.

"I hope you’re phoning to wish me Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.." - Footwear Trading MD Stan Kotkin, who knows a thing or two about deflecting sales calls. But yes, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Stan!

ABSA Agri Trends 29/11: Hides & skins prices

The average bovine hide price over the past week was R15.62/kg green. Hide prices are determined by the average of RMAA and independent companies.
        The average price for Dorper skins was R35.91/skin and Merino was R81.21/skin.

Birthdays up to January 8

12/12/1949: Johan Barnard, Envirotan, Port Elizabeth.
12/12/1937: M Kadwa, Umzinto Wholesalers, Umzinto.
12/12/1956: Chandrakant Dajee, Avalon Job Buyers.
12/12/1980: Craig Lahee, Ritewear Footwear, Cape Town.
13/12/1959: Kersie Govender, CK Shoes, Pietermaritzburg.
13/12/1960: Ebrahim Sonpra, Sonpra’s Warehouse, Pietersburg/Polokwane.
14/12/1957: Paul Henshaw, Puma, Cape Town.
15/12/1975: Sabrina van Rooyen, Van Hobs Dry Cleaners, Pretoria.
14/12/1953: Rachmat Thomas, Chic Shoe Manufacturers, Cape Town.
15/12/1973: Charl Lucas, Springbok Skoeisel, Springbok.
16/12/1939: Danny Pincus, agent, Johannesburg.
17/12/1972: Iqbal Abdulla, DI International, Johannesburg.
18/12/1978: Hassive Magaña Maya, Spanish Commercial Office, Johannesburg.
18/12/1952: Piet Neethling, Camdeboo Meat Processors, Graaff-Reinet.
19/12/1959: Jagen Pillai, Michelle Footwear, Durban.
19/12/1944: Hoosen Patel, Spectrum group, Durban.
20/12/1957: Michael Ngwenya, Nulaw, Pietermaritzburg.
21/12/1942: Allan Kushner, retired, formerly Shoe Fayre, Pretoria.
21/12/1963: Trevor Capell, ? Hilton.
22/12/1966: Craig Pillay, Topline Manufacturers, Durban.
22/12/1973: Hassan Adam, Seadoone Shoes, Amanzimtoti.
23/12/1947: Chris Dorasamy, Robach Components, Pinetown.
23/12/1949: Alex Gordon, Futura, Pinetown.
24/12/1947: Gerald Borg, emigrated to Cyprus.
25/12/19??: Malcolm Walton, retired, formerly Corrida Shoes, Pietermaritzburg.
24/12/1953: Morgan Naidoo, Alan D Jackson, Pinetown.
25/12/1934: Ivan Harris, retired, formerly Woodheads, Cape Town.
25/12/1960: Yusuf Moosajee, Seltex, Johannesburg.
25/12/1975: Mohamed Ameen Ravat, Ravat & Sons International, Pietersburg/Polokwane.
25/12/1948: Morris Smith, agent, Durban.
26/12/1937: Andre le Roux, retired, formerly Watson Shoes Ladies’ Division, Oudtshoorn.
26/12/19??: Peter Waddleton, Finlam Textiles, Pinetown.
26/12/1960: Gus Wiesner, agent.
26/12/1956: Omar Faruk Doola, Shoe World, Springs.
27/12/1962: Kareem Kader, Options, Gaborone, Botswana.
28/12/1970: Tony Vaubell, Mr Price Group, Durban.
28/12/1979: Peter Bassingthwaighte, Bass Marketing, Cape Town.
28/12/1944: Ken Moakes, retired, formerly Buckman, Northampton.
29/12/1944: Andy Woods, Woods’ Tanning, Uitenhage.
29/12/1971: Regman Govender, Exodus Marketing, Durban.
29/12/1981: Ganesh Kadoo, UCL Co Ltd, Dalton.
29/12/1949: Paul Jacobus Smit, S&S Boutique, Tzaneen.
31/12/1958: Neil Burnham, Joslyn’s Shoes Johannesburg
Birthdays in January
01/01/19??: Chris Ryder, consultant, Pinetown.
01/01/1965: Selwyn van Aarde, Barker Footwear, Cape Town.
03/01/1946: Johannes Kruger, Perfect Shoes, Keetmanshoop, Namibia.
03/01/1948: Dave Lloyd, Futura, Pinetown.
03/01/19??: Anne Thomas, Bagshaw Footwear, Port Elizabeth.
04/01/1945: Mike Lambrakis, Shoe Pair Market, Pinetown.
04/01/1956: Allison Gans, GW Cowie & Co., Pinetown.
05/01/1950: Roger Durrbaum, retired, formerly Barker Footwear, Cape Town.
05/01/1952: Charles Poole, Design Unique, East London.
05/01/1957: Herman Alheit, Dick Whittington Shoes, Cape Town.
05/01/1983: Andreas Lambrakis, Shoe Pair Market, Pinetown.
05/01/1963; Hugo Zuanni, Leather Link, Cape Town.
05/01/1977: Peter Lin, C.Y. Lin, Cape Town.
06/01/1942: Hennie du Plessis, Strassberger Shoes, Clanwilliam.
06/01/1947: Allan Harris, Woodheads, Cape Town.
07/01/1939: Sid Finlayson, retired, formerly Futura and Bolwear, Mossel Bay.
06/01/1970: Neville Walters, ACA Thread, Cape Town.
07/01/1941: Dieter Zettler, retired, formerly PMC group, Pinetown.
07/01/1977: Hannelie Scholtz, Fabulous Fashions, Vryburg.
07/01/1970: Ingo Fleischer, Johnson Controls SA, Uitenhage.
08/01/1972: Imtiaz Butler, agent, Durban.

In Memoriam up to January 8

18/12/2003: Ben Stoltzman (b. 03.05/1933), Vogue Shoes/Sportshoe SA [closed], Cape Town.
22/12/2008: John Whittle (b. 21/05/1936), John Whittle Components, Pinetown.
23/12/2004: Stewart Dorrington (b.?), King Tanning, King William’s Town.
23/12/2014: Mohammed Seedat (b. 16/07/1942), Jino’s Clothing, Johannesburg.
25/12/2003: Lionel Klein (b. 24/08/1926), agent, Durban.
31/12/2003: Peter Craythorne (b. 28/02/1935), BUSM/Woodheads, Cape Town.
31/12/2000: Nols Jonker (b. 10/06/1944), Watson Shoes, Great Brak River.
In Memoriam, January
01/01/2012: Balduin Heimann (b. 30/06/1932), agent, Cape Town.
04/01/2004: Rob Gowie (b. 01/07/1938), GW Reynolds/Rob Gowie Components/ Fashion Components/Plasticone [all closed], Cape Town.
06/01/2000: Alan Palmer (b. 02/09/1946), Medicus, Port Elizabeth.
06/01/2010: Minty Kock (b. 15/06/1950), Meroda Footwear [closed], Cape Town.
07/01/2010: Danie Du Toit (b. 22/02/1948), Carca Footwear, Lesotho.
07/01/2015: Rob Thompson (b. 06/08/1948), agent, Johannesburg.

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

Factory managers sought

Golden Dragon Manufacturer is a fully moulded footwear factory in Tongaat looking to fill two positions for Factory Managers. Applicants can send their CVs to: annahmae@thenewshoecompany.com. The positions will be available from 15th of January 2017.

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: January 9, 2017.

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