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S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.8 No.35, August 29 2022

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

 

Tanning

Leather From Hart destroyed by fire

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA - Leather From Hart, SA's only remaining heavy leather tannery - making veg-tanned leather in pits and drums - burnt down over the weekend.
      Jonathan Munro, director of Cordova Leathers, which is in the same complex in Plessislaer, said the veg plant had been "totally destroyed", but that Cordova, and a wet blue contract tanning operation, were unaffected.
      He said the cause of the fire was unknown as the veg plant was not working over the weekend. He didn't know how much work in progress there had been, but nothing had survived.
      "It's hard to say when it will be resuming production, but we're putting plans together to resume some operations next month. We're all devastated but in high spirits despite the carnage. ‘The view is always the best from climbing the most difficult mountain’. LFH will rise like the Phoenix from the ashes."

 

 

Retail

KZN: For the focused, demand is there

Durban, KZN, SA - Airways Tailors & Outfitters has adapted to trading conditions by sharing premises and concentrating on its core competence - tailoring. Owner Navin Khoosal has moved into Wayne Matthysen's Bluedot store. "He's the retailer, I'm the tailor," he said.
      He said there had "definitely been a recovery in demand for men's suits because people have reasons to dress up".
      "We don't make as many new suits as we used to. Most of the demand is for alterations." He said demand was across all age groups.

Ladysmith, KZN, SA - For Bhayla's American Man Shop, which dates back to 1947, business is mostly fairly stable, but the second half of August has been poor, partner Saeed Bhayla said.
      "We don't normally have very high or very low periods," he said, "but the last 2 weeks have been really down. I don't know whether why or whether all other retailers have been affected - perhaps the petrol price increases have really started to bite. Maybe next week will improve - we have to hope so."
      He said with a stable customer base and a normally reasonable trade, the business hadn't made many changes beyond buying more carefully.

Howick, KZN, SA - Business is "very average, and for that we're very grateful", said Ian Johnson, director of Big John Clothing, an operation which specialises in outdoor wear and which includes a clothing factory, a wholesale division and a retail division.
      On the retail side, it has 1 outlet in Howick, but it makes extensive use of outdoor-orientated fairs and events. "Those are our cheapest form of advertising, and they work very well for us," he said. "What's good is that those shows are starting again, and we'll be doing a show next week."
      Big John doesn't currently offer online retailing, "but we're being forced into it", he said.
      Big John makes most of its own clothing - "Da Gama is the only textile mill left, but they do a good job". It no longer imports direct, but it does source some of its product from importers.

 

They Said It

"Can I make it 5 letters? More than that I can't remember." - Rowan Allison, Alleather Sales, Durban, KZN, SA, on a password for our Directory.

"Resilience I suppose is the word." - Arveen Boodhoo, Dick Whittington Shoes, Pietermaritzburg, SA, on how the company is finding trading conditions.

 

 

Got anything you'd like to share?

Do you have any suggestions, comments or experiences about the industry that you'd like to share with the industry? - tony@svmag.co.za

 

29/08/1961: Steve Miller, Queue, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
29/08/1976: Minesh Gangiah, Impact Industries Footwear Manufacturers, Durban, KZN, SA.
29/08/????: Indira B Ambaram, JFK Trading, Durban, KZN, SA.
01/09/1941: Stan Kotkin, Calvin Klein SA, formerly Footwear Trading (ceased trading), Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
01/09/1942: Judy Vincent, Saddler Belts & Leathercraft, Durban, KZN, SA.
01/09/1971: Antonella Florio, Vanity, Ladybrand, Free State, SA.
01/09/1991: Ushir Singh, Palm Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
02/09/1941: Saag Jonker, Ostrich Products SA/Saag Jonker Group, Oudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA.
02/09/1953: Carlos Costa, emigrated to Australia, former MD of Superior Footwear/Imponente Tanning, Harare, Zimbabwe.
02/09/1960: Arveen Boodhoo, Dick Whittington Shoes, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
02/09/1952: Derek Ellway, formerly Inspectashoe [closed], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA, now in the UK.
02/09/1963: Sunil Daya, Randy’s Agency, Port Elizabeth, E Cape, SA.
03/09/1953: Vic Jablowski, Protech V, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
03/09/1970: Michel Hasson, Topaz, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
04/09/1952: Julian Pledger, left the industry, formerly Faith Footwear [closed], Port Elizabeth, E Cape, SA.
04/09/1955: David Scott, exporter, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
04/09/1963: Peter Crouch, Crouch Footwear, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
04/09/1992: Sarah Hayze-Hill, Chillisource, Durban, KZN, SA.

 

29/08/2021: Nelson Govender (b. 04/10/1964), Prisaan Footwear, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
30/08/1997: Neville Socher, Medicus agent.
30/08/2015: Willem Delft (b. 10/04/1944), Bobbie Leathers, Uganda.
01/09/2012: Mike Cromhout (b. 06/02/1947), agent, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
01/09/2021: Mike Lashbrooke (b. 07/06/1935), agent, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
02/09/2018: Sid Finlayson (b. 07/01/1939), Bata Zimbabwe, Futura Footwear and Bolton Footwear, Mossel Bay, W. Cape, SA.
02/09/2020: Alan Jackson (b. 31/07/1928), retired, founder of Alan D. Jackson, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
03/09/2005: Oliver Guibert (b. 23/12/?), Bata Zimbabwe, Gweru, Zimbabwe.
04/09/2012: Judi Moakes (b. 13/04/1960), in Northampton, formerly secretary, SLTC (SA Section).

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.

 

 

 

 

Directory entries updated last week

Agent Anderson Group (Pty) Ltd, St Francis Bay, E. Cape, SA.
All Shoes & Luggage, Estcourt, KZN, SA.
Andreas, Gabriel, Kuruman, N. Cape, SA.
Andy Williams Agencies, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Baptista, Keith, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
Bass Marketing cc, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Best Shoes [Leroy Shoes cc], Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
Bhayla's American Man Shop, Ladysmith, KZN, SA.
Brett, Maurice, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Brinkmann, Carl, Windhoek, Namibia.
Cox, Stuart, Bloemfontein, Free State, SA.
Creed, Derek, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
Croney, Scott, East London, E. Cape, SA.
Davidson Cobblers Bespoke, Hilton, KZN, SA.
Dick Whittington Shoes (Pty) Ltd, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
Doig, Graham, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
Earth Gear (Pty) Ltd, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
Freesurf Agencies, Scottburgh, KZN, SA.
Elan-Polo SA (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Leslie's Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
MTL Trading cc, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Roger & Andy Agencies cc, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Topaz Footwear [Redhawk Shipping & Finance Corporation (Pty) Ltd], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Triple B Footwear cc, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
Villa Merchandising (Pty) Ltd, Durban, KZN, SA.

 

New subscribers last week

Rosslyn Naicker, Jozi Footwear, Gauteng, SA.

 

Exchange rates

Note: For previous rates, see HERE

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

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

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
28/08/22 R16.83 R19.83 R16.88 R2.46
 


2. Botswana Pula (BWP)

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

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
28/08/2022 12.71 14.98 12.75 1.85


3. Malawian Kwacha (MWK)

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

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
28/08/2022 1014.81 1195.66 1018.05 149.35


4. Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)

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

 
  Euro € GBP £ US $ CNY ¥
28/08/2022 16.16 19.05 16.22 2.36



5. Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL$)

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

 
  Euro € GBP £ CNY ¥ Official US$
28/08/2022 360.74 425.03 52.73  
 

Note: For previous rates, see HERE

 

 

 

 

 

ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (25 August 2022) - The current average hide price increased by 9.8% to R4.50/kg from R4.11/kg a week ago. The current price is 9.5% higher than the average price a month ago and is 54% lower than the average price a year ago. The range of prices reported was as follows: Minimum price: R4.00 Maximum price: R5.00. Please note: Our methodology weighs the prices we collect according to the number of hides they sell in a month. This is done to make it more representative of the prevailing market price. 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.

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:
HGH Industrial Thread, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA. Thread supplier.
Hi-Tec Sports Distributors, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA. Footwear distributor.

 

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: September 5, 2022.

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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