S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.3 No.18, May 8, 2017

This Newsletter is sponsored by SAFLIA

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

ARSUTORIA to hold SA workshop, seminars in June

Pretoria (SA) – Footwear and bag design university ARSUTORIA is to hold a 4-day ‘collection workshop’ in Durban from June 12-15, followed by 3 1-day trend seminars in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg.
       SAFLIA is the main sponsor of the event, with co-sponsorship from the DTI, SAFLEC and SHALC. Ernest Heunis is project manager.
       The collection workshop is restricted to 25 delegates, and only 1 per company will be accepted.
       The course content will include:

• The meaning and evolution of trend forecasting;
• Focus on millennials in Europe, the U.S. and Asia;
• Designing a brand with international appeal;
• Designing a collection.

Wage negotiations: 2nd round dates

Port Elizabeth (SA) – The 2nd round of wage negotiations for the tanning sector begins tomorrow and on Wednesday (May 9 and 10).
       The footwear sector follows on May 17 and 18, and General Goods & Handbags on June 5 and 6.

Step Ahead acquires Shoe Connection

Johannesburg (SA) – Effective from March 1, Step Ahead has bought the Cape Town-based 6-store Shoe Connection mini-chain for an undisclosed sum. It is continuing to trade under the Shoe Connection name.
       Step Ahead has 12 stores in Gauteng, and has also opened a store In Ballito in KZN.
       “They were like-minded companies with many common brands,” former Shoe Connection member Denis Tuchten said. “It was a good fit.” He said Step Ahead had taken over all staff and stock.
       He said he was “buying and selling”, and would continue to do so.

Adidas: Local results ‘in line with global’

Cape Town (SA) – Adidas International announced first quarter results on May 4 which included a 30% growth in income.
       Asked for comment on the company’s local performance, senior sales director Darren Cooke wrote: “The brand is enjoying some incredible momentum currently around the globe and SA is no exception. Our results in Q1 are in line with the overall adidas number. This is based on sell-in obviously and is being driven predominantly by footwear.
       “From a sell-out point of view the first 3 months of the year have been a little slower. There is no doubt that the economy is under pressure and our consumer confidence is being affected. It’s important that we continue to focus on sell-out as we strive to manage our growth responsibly.” – [+27 (0)21 442 6200, darren.cooke@adidas-group.com]  

State Tender: First awards up on last year

Pretoria (SA) – The awards in this year’s RT59 contract for the supply and delivery of footwear to the State for the period April 1 2017 to March 31 2018 appeared on the National Treasury website today (Monday, May 8).
       It included – for the first time in the RT59 awards – gloves and handbags.
       Total footwear orders were over 192 000 pairs, of which approximately 88 000 pairs went to Dick Whittington Shoes, 73 000 pairs – mostly gumboots – went to BBF Safety Group, and about 31 000 went to Chic Shoes. That compares to around 124 000 pairs in the initial tender award last year. (There are usually supplementary awards which are announced later)
       Perhaps more importantly to the tendering companies, the timing is much earlier than last year, when the first awards were only made at the end of July.

Trade mission to Zambia

Pretoria (SA) – The DTI will run a trade and investment mission to Zambia from July 26-28. Agro-processing, agribusiness and advanced manufacturing are among the target sectors for the mission. – [Nnono Kekane, +27 (0)12 394 5970, NKekane@thedti.gov.za]

Have you registered yet to attend Source Africa, 24 & 25 May 2017, CTICC, Cape Town?

From Deidre Harte, LTE Cape Town (SA) –        The Source Africa Trade Show opens in two weeks time and if you have not yet registered to attend, go to www.sourceafrica.co.za. Entry to the trade show, presentations and fashion shows is free but pre-registration necessary.
       Says William Scalco, Organiser Source Africa, “Africa is on the move! There is growing interest in African countries as a major sourcing destination and an increasing demand from African sourcing agents and retailers to source within the region as the benefits of intra-regional trade have become more and more attractive. There are 17 countries represented at Source Africa this year including South Africa, Mauritius, Lesotho, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Mozambique, Madagascar, USA, Turkey, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, UK, UAE, India, Hong Kong. With the African textile, apparel and footwear industry emerging as a key stakeholder in the international market, Source Africa will again provide the perfect opportunity for manufacturers, wholesalers, brands, retailers and industry professionals  to seek opportunities and sustainable partnerships with key players in this ever-evolving sector.
       “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our loyal Sponsors - Industrial Development Corporation (IDC),  WRAP, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), USAID EATiH and USAID SATiH, Trend Partner - WGSN, Supporters - Enterprise Mauritius, Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC), Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN), International Trade Centre (ITC), Trade Mark East Africa, SAFLEC, the DTI, AMSA, SANFC, SADFA, Shoes & Views Magazines and NewsBriefs. Their commitment and ongoing support have been invaluable to us and together we will grow Source Africa and take it to the next level.”
         Informative international business presentations and trend talks by WGSN, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Picanol and Thies GmbH & Co. KG will take place alongside Source Africa. There will also be daily fashion walks, industry promotions and complimentary wine tastings by The Fishwifes Club Boutique Winery. To register for any of the presentations and/or trend talks, go to www.sourceafrica.co.za and click on Seminar Registration. – [+27 (0)21 790 5849, william@sourceafrica.co.za]

Diary

Wednesday, May 24-Thursday, May 25: Source Africa, Cape Town International Convention Centre. – [deidre@sourceafrica.co.za]
Friday, May 26: SHALC AGM, Intercontinental Hotel, OR Tambo Airport. – [ernest@leatherite.co.za]
Friday, May 26-Sunday, May 28: SLTC convention, La Wiida Lodge, on the R511 between Johannesburg and Pretoria. Please contact the secretary, Nicky Phipps, for details. – [nphipps@telkomsa.net]
Tuesday, May 30-Thursday, June 1: A-OSH, Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand.

They Said It

"Oh, they paid me R225 million and 25% of profits for the next 50 years." - Former Shoe Connection member Denis Tuchten when asked how much Step Ahead had paid for his business.

"In footwear, there’s no such thing as a bad style – just a bad purchase." - Intobrands director Paul Hancock on the difficulty of knowing how much to order months ahead of time.

Birthdays this week

08/05/1956: Jeff Human, John Whittle Components, Cape Town.
08/05/1950: David Boast, African Hide Trading, Port Elizabeth.
09/05/19??: Sarie de Wet, KKI Leather Marketing, Oudtshoorn.
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.
12/05/19??: Louise Pelser, SAFLEC, Durban.
12/05/1976: Hennie Groenewald, ACA Threads, Cape Town.
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.
14/05/1952: Eric Majoor, St Tropez, Durban.

In Memoriam this week

08/05/2010: Bob Hunter (b. 18/11/1938), footwear agent, Johannesburg.
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.

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

ABSA Agri Trends 04/05: Hides & skins prices

The average bovine hide price over the past week was R14.79/kg green. Hide prices are determined by the average of RMAA and independent companies. “The recent strength of the currency and pressure from the demand side has been adding pressure on prices. There may also be stocks still sitting from December, which further add pressure on prices.”
       The average price for Dorper skins was R43.33/skin and Merino was R92.69/skin.
       “Moving forward, prices are expected to gain support from the weakening of the South African currency, especially with the current political climate,” according to the report.

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

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: May 15, 2017.

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