Publisher of leading trade magazines for the Footwear, Leather-goods, Leather & PPE industries
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S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.7 No.32, August 9 2021

This Newsletter is sponsored by SAFLIA

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

 

The aftermath part 4

Orkin's: Hard to forecast

Germiston, Gauteng, SA – Trade has improved, although last month's looting "made business very difficult", said Ivan Orkin, whose business includes a family footwear store and 2 men's outfitters. "We weren't looted ourselves, but the centre closed for 4 days."
      He said there were "no problems getting stock up to now", but that there was no direction.
      "It's difficult to forecast the rest of the year," he said. "In the past, clothing was sought-after, but with the current levels of unemployment, it's become a luxury for many people."
      His son, David, has added an online business, Orkins & Orkini, to the shops.

 

May's: Looted, but lucky

Durban, KZN, SA – Comfort footwear specialist May's Shoes reopened on Saturday, proprietor Yusuf Kadwa said.
May's is in City View Centre - formerly Game City - in Stamford Hill Road, Greyville, one of the Durban centres that was completely looted.
      "I still have to work out my losses," he said, "but overall I was lucky. They got about a third of my stock, but because it was dark, they only took shoes that were close to the entrance of the stockroom, and all the shoes in the shop itself were half pairs, which were no use to them. There were so many things that didn't go.
      "What they did steal were men's belts, men's bags, ladies' handbags and overnight bags."
      He said his stock levels were low at the time. "I was fortunate that because of Covid, I didn't buy a lot of stock in the first half of the year, and I owed zero. Also, some of the stock I had ordered had been delayed and hadn't arrived."
      He said the looters had "made a bit of a mess", trying to shoot open the lock, then smashing the window.
      "I had to reopen," he said. "I have some months to go on my lease, and the landlord has been very sympathetic."
      Other apparel retailers in the centre are Kingsmead Shoes, Kool Kids, Legit, Markhams, Mr Price, Pep, Rosewood Boutique, Totalsports and Truworths.

 

 

Company Survey: Impact of the unrest

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – The Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (DTIC) is asking businesses which were affected by unrest in July to complete a survey to assist it to react appropriately. In a release, Dr. Jaywant Irkhede, Director: Leather & Footwear, Industrial Competitiveness and Growth Division: Textile, Clothing, Leather & Footwear, wrote:
As requested by Ms. Susan Mangole (Acting Deputy Director General of Industrial Financing Division of the dtic) we will highly appreciate if you kindly inform your members and non members with a request to urgently completed the dtic impact survey through the following web url / link:

http://www.thedtic.gov.za/the-dtic-survey-on-the-impact-of-the-looting-to-business-operations-in-the-country/

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftA9kNFs-nMS2MjNyaBoFLMID8Wc51CYnEf2EdZr3tRq-YXQ/viewform

South African businesses have come under immense strain due to the recent events of violence and looting that have swept through the country during the past week. This survey requests information on the impacts of the unrest and the support that would be required by affected companies. The results from the survey will assist the dtic and other organisations to propose support measures to enable the rebuilding and economic stablisation of the country. We kindly request about 5 minutes of your time to complete the online survey and thank you in advance.  All information provided will be strictly confidential and aggregated anonymous data will be used to inform decision making.

 

Zuzi Designs: Bag manufacturer seeks to share space with shoe factory

Pinetown, KZN, SA – Handbag manufacturer Zuzile Mchunu would like to share space with and have access to the machinery of a footwear manufacturer to expand her range. She writes:
      "I manufacture leather bags and wallets. I currently work from home with one assistant, so my operation is very small. I would like to grow my business by expanding my product offering by including leather sandals and slops to my product line.  Financially my business is not yet in the position to buy new equipment and as you can imagine the current financial state of affairs in our country just makes progress that much more difficult.
      "Kindly advise if you know of any organisations or businesses who would be willing to share their working space with me, so I may have access to the machines that I will need to manufacture leather sandals.
      "I have applied for funding in some government departments, but we still wait and see. I am based in New Germany."
      She can be contacted on 083 352 4995, zuzile.mchunu@gmail.com

 

 

Hush Puppies SA 'unaffected by decisions on distribution in the U.S.'

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Southern African Hush Puppies customers are "not affected at all" by a decision by the brand to close hundreds of retail accounts across North America, according to Laurence Lotzoff, MD of Hush Puppies distributor Dale Footwear.
      "It’s a strategic decision [by Wolverine] linked to their market only and affects their customers only," he said. "We work on a licensed model which is the strength of the brand. Building product for our market and aligning with our own strategic distribution decisions, are two aspects of the business that give us flexibility over straight distributor-like relationships."
      According to a press release on 05 August, "Designer Brands Inc., one of North America's largest designers, producers and retailers of footwear and accessories, today announced exclusive distribution for Hush Puppies in North America, through partnership with Wolverine Worldwide. This industry-forward initiative will make DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse the exclusive in-store distributor of Hush Puppies beginning in 2022, helping maintain DBI's retail presence throughout the U.S. and Canada, targeting ideal consumers and generating mutual brand growth and awareness."

 

Stock Exchange News Services (SENS)

TFG - trading update

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA (02 August, 2021) – - Group turnover growth of 15.8% compared to Q1 FY2020;
- Strong performance from TFG Africa and TFG Australia with turnover growth of 26.8% (ZAR) and 32.7% (AUD) respectively, compared to Q1 FY2020;
- TFG London’s trade since the re-opening of most outlets on 12 April 2021 has outperformed expectation across all three brands, with the business generating positive cash flow in Q1 FY2022;
- Cash turnover growth for TFG Africa of 55.5% compared to Q1 FY2020. Cash turnover now contributes 69,6% to total TFG Africa turnover;
- Encouraging like-for-like turnover growth for TFG Africa of 11.1% for May and June combined compared to May and June 2020**;
- Continued market share gains in the Men's and Women's categories according to the Retailers Liaison Committee (market share of 16% for Q1 FY2022, compared to 10% for Q1 FY2021);
- TFG Africa opened 71 new stores during the quarter while 29 stores were closed; and
- Group online turnover growth of 23.2% compared to Q1 FY2020, contributing 9.8% (Q1 FY2020: 9,2%) to total Group turnover.
** April has been excluded from this calculation as the majority of stores did not trade during April 2020 due to the South African government-enforced nationwide lockdown.

 

Death notice

Ben Peters, retired former director of Tuftex Distributors, died last week, a little over a month before his 87th birthday. An obituary will follow in the August issue of S&V Footwear & Leather Goods.

 

 

They Said It

"I particularly enjoyed the letter from Mike Abel. South Africa and the shoe industry here have been very good to me so I’m not bailing out. I moved from Pietermaritzburg to the Cape because my home was broken into and I had a sharp knife stuck at my throat. I fought the bugger, got the knife off him, but he escaped." - Former Conshu director Joe McGinley, now retired, writing about an article in the last edition of S&V Footwear & Leather Goods. He also said he was "having a bit of trouble with my legs, so I don't get to the pub as much as I'd like". From this you can infer that a) it doesn't pay to attack an Irish shoemaker, no matter how old, and b) Irish shoemakers always love a drink, no matter how old.

 

Directory and Calendar updates

The S&V Directory and the S&V Calendar are dynamic documents, undergoing ongoing constant updating. Readers are therefore advised to refer to them at least once a week.

 

Got anything you'd like to share?

Do you have any suggestions, comments or experiences about the lockdown that you'd like to share with the industry? We will publish the throughout the lockdown, so please let us know. - tony@svmag.co.za

 

10/08/1951: Kevin Davidow, Nakara Leather, Namibia.
10/08/1963: Grant Hansen, Fusion Leather, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
10/08/1968: Julius Govender, Michelle Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
10/08/1971: Shane McEvoy, Dodo Shoes, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
13/08/1969: Clinton Hoar, XS Denim, Durban, KZN, SA.
11/08/1978: Natashia Singh, Palm Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
15/08/19??: Bob McDonald, retired, formerly Budget Footwear [closed], Durban, KZN, SA.

 

In Memoriam this week

09/08/2013: Daniël Bruwer (Stoffel) Matthis (b. 04/05/1934), SHALC and many meat industry bodies, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
09/08/2020: John Kellett (b. 25/10/1939), Durata Shoe Works [closed], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
09/08/2020: Suliman Mohamed Ahmed (b. 21/05/1949), Shoe Valley, Benoni, Gauteng, SA.
10/08/2006: Abdool Kader (AK) Seedat (b. 12/03/1933), agent, Durban, KZN, SA.
11/08/2011: Ken Riches (b. 15/07/1922), LIRI [closed], educator, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
15/08/2011: Geoffrey Leonard Keane-Murphy (b. 08/03/1927), consultant, Durban, KZN, SA.
15/08/2011: Newton Wade (b. 16/06/1925), Panama Shoes [closed], Durban, KZN, SA.
15/08/2015: MH Moosaji, Trendsetters, KwaDukuza, KZN, SA.

AN URGENT REQUEST TO READERS: THIS IS THE FIRST WEEK IN THE SIX-AND-A-HALF YEARS THAT WE HAVE BEEN PRODUCING THE NEWSLETTER THAT WE HAVE MORE NAMES IN THE IN MEMORIAM SECTION THAT UNDER BIRTHDAYS. I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY OTHER READERS CELEBRATING THEIR BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK, AND IN THE WEEKS AHEAD. PLEASE LET US KNOW.
Have you let us know about your birthday, or the birthdays of your colleagues? Our readers love this section, so please become part of it. This also applies to the In Memoriam section. Help us remember former colleagues.

 

 

 

Exchange rates

1. SA Rand (ZAR)/Lesotho Loti (LSL)/Namibian Dollar (NAD)/Swazi Lilangeni (SZL)

Source: http://www.x-rates.com/calculator/

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
2021/06/26 R16.88 R19.63 R14.14 R2.19
2021/07/03 R16.91 R19.70 R14.25 R2.20
2021/07/12 R17.04 R19.91 R14.35 R2.21
2021/07/17 R17.02 R19.85 R14.42 R2.22
2021/07/24 R17.48 R21.41 R14.85 R2.29
2021/07/31 R17.33 R20.30 R14.60 R2.26
2021/08/09 R17.33 R20.45 R14.76 R2.27

Note: For previous rates, see HERE

 


2. Botswana Pula (BWP)

Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
2021/06/26 12.97 15.09 10.87 1.68
2021/07/03 12.95 15.09 10.91 1.68
2021/07/12 12.96 15.15 10.92 1.68
2021/07/17 12.95 15.11 10.97 1.69
2021/07/24 13.06 15.25 11.09 1.71
2021/07/31 13.20 15.47 11.12 1.72
2021/08/09 12.99 15.33 11.06 1.70


3. Malawian Kwacha (MWK)

Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
2021/06/26 961.88 1118.55 805.90 124.84
2021/07/03 958.45 1116.77 807.73 124.79
2021/07/12 952.21 1112.73 802.19 123.93
2021/07/17 955.84 1115.17 809.54 124.94
2021/07/24 955.43 1115.52 811.65 125.23
2021/07/31 965.02 1130.54 813.06 125.83
2021/08/09 957.51 1129.86 815.31 125.70


4. Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)

Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
2021/06/26 27.04 31.46 22.66 3.51
2021/07/03 26.95 31.40 22.71 3.50
2021/07/12 26.89 31.42 22.65 3.49
2021/07/17 26.73 31.18 22.64 3.49
2021/07/24 24.77 28.92 21.04 3.24
2021/07/31 22.91 26.84 19.30 2.98
2021/08/09 22.63 26.70 19.27 2.97



5. Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL$)

Source: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥ Official US$
2021/06/26 431.93 502.29 361.90 56.06 85.36
2021/07/03 429.42 500.36 361.90 55.91 85.42
2021/07/12 429.43 501.85 361.90 55.90 85.50
2021/07/17 427.41 498.50 361.90 55.85 85.50
2021/07/24 426.00 497.38 361.90 55.83 85.63
2021/07/31 429.54 503.21 361.90 56.00 85.64
2021/08/09 424.85 501.36 361.90 55.79 85.72

 

 

 

 

 

ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (05 August, 2021) - The current average hide price is R9.60. The current price is 1.2% higher than the average price a month ago and is 1074% higher than the average price a year ago. The range of prices reported was as follows: Minimum price: R7.13, Maximum price: R10.50. Please note, we have changed our methodology and price levels are not directly comparable to previous prices that we reported on. NB* Hide prices are determined by the average of the RMAA (Red Meat Abattoir Association) and independent companies. - Marlene Louw, senior agricultural economist, and Nkhensani Mashimbyi, agricultural economist, Absa group.

Hide & skin price progression
Date Hides/Kg Dorper/Skin Merino Skin
2020/11/06 2.36 26.00 44.00
2020/11/13 2.38 23.59 40.00
2020/11/20 2.69 35.00 50.00
2020/11/27 3.08 36.00 49.00
2020/12/04 3.65 34.03 49.00
2020/12/11 3.68 33.21 50.83
2020/12/18 3.93 32.59 51.67
2021/12/25 4.08 34.39 51.67
2021/01/01 3.93 34.03 54.00
2021/01/08 3.88 31.43 46.43
2021/01/15 4.03 31.43 46.43
2021/01/22 4.16 30.00 47.00
2021/01/29 4.04 33.05 50.83
2021/02/05 3.86 31.41 45.71
2021/02/12 4.33 35.46 45.83
2021/02/19 4.29 34.49 50.00
2021/02/26 4.94 34.70 47.50
2021/03/05 5.67 38.33 51.67
2021/03/12 4.80 42.50 59.17
2021/03/19 4.99 35.74 52.86
2021/03/26 6.33 35.16 55.00
2021/04/02 6.50 31.83 49.00
2021/04/16 8.98 37.44 50.00
2021/04/22 8.37    
2021/04/29 8.98 40.96 62.00
2021/05/06 7.56 40.96 62.00
2021/05/24 7.82 40.83 61.67
2021/05/28 7.47    
2021/06/14 8.34 40.83 61.67
2021/06/24 8.31    
Note: For previous prices, see HERE
 

  

Have a look at these links

We invite businesses to send us links to websites, Facebook pages and the like which they feel would be of interest to others. The links below are from our database:
Fast World Industries, Durban, KZN, SA. PPE reseller.
Fata Tannery, Kano, Nigeria. Sheep and goatskin tannery.

 


Classified Adverts




Lorraine Carol McDonald

Is seeking employment in a secretarial or personal assistant (PA) position in a vibrant and dynamic organization, utilizing my skills and abundant experience to contribute to its future success.

Editor's note: If her surname looks familiar, it should. Lorraine is the wife of footwear production man Dave McDonald, so she is familiar with footwear terms and needs. She also worked for adhesive supplier Genkem when it was a major supplier to the footwear industry.

A comprehensive CV, with references, is available.

She can be contacted at lorrainemcdonald733@gmail.com, 082 337 2831.

 




Contact us

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

Next newsletter: August 16, 2021.

SAFLIA enquiries: Tel 0800SAFLIA * Email info@saflia.co.za * Website http://www.saflia.co.za

Our website www.svmag.co.za

 

 

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