S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.10 No.06, February 5 2024

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

Billboard company suing Drip Footwear

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Sneaker retailer Drip Footwear is being sued by outdoor media company WideOpen Platform, national sales manager Rob Etzinger confirmed today.
“We have instituted liquidation proceedings against Drip Footwear (Pty) Ltd under case number 2024-004622, and which matter is still to be heard in the Johannesburg High Court,” he wrote.
      “As the proceedings are sub judice, neither the writer nor our client is in a position to comment on the matter at this stage.”
      According to earlier press reports, Drip owes WideOpen Platform R20m.
      Drip has been a rags-to-riches story, according to its website, which says founder Lekau Sehoana conceived his business while a schoolboy in an informal settlement in the early 2000s.
      He did not reply to a request for comment this morning.
WideOpen Platform is a subsidiary of media and advertising group Primedia.

Naked Feet hit in robbery

Durban, KZN, SA - Retailer Naked Feet, which sells via market stalls in and around Durban, lost “hundreds of pairs” in a robbery at the Ballito Farmers Market on Friday.
      Member Allan Beckley said 23 stalls were robbed at around 04.00. Naked Feet is the only footwear stall at the market.
      “We’re still trying to work out how much we lost,” he said today, “but it was in the hundreds of pairs.”
      Naked Feet sells men’s and women’s leather footwear, sourced from local factories, and concentrates on comfort.

They Said It

"I was also thinking that if an executive from a publicly listed company suggested investing in Cambodia, the board would probably show him the door." - Tinashe Mandirahwe, who sends thought-provoking articles to S&V Footwear & Leather Goods magazine, expressing surprise at a decision by New Balance – which is privately owned – to do so.

New subscribers last week

Idris, CEO, Gem Schoolwear, Durban, KZN, South Africa
Rachid, Manager, Top Up Shoes, Johannesburg, South Africa
Ahmad, Jumbo Footwear, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Leighton Bennett, OHS & risk management Consultant, Benrisk coinsulting, Johannesburg, South Africa

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

Birthdays this week

06/02/1964: Wouter Joubert, TFG Apparel Supply Co, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
06/02/1971: Carel Pretorius, Pep, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
07/02/1957: Arun Prag, Prag Shoes and Leatherworks, Somerset West, W. Cape, SA.
08/02/1949: Jeff Isaacson, agent, Durban, KZN, SA.
08/02/1950: Miles O’Brien, retired, formerly Jordan Shoes, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
08/02/1955: Mukesh Merchant, Merchant’s Outfitters, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
08/02/1972: Kiran Pattundeen, Palm Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
08/02/1975: Hugh Hansen, CL Hansen Agencies, Durban, KZN, SA.
09/02/1970: Cassim Shaikh, Whitewood Investments t/a Shoe Lala, Durban, KZN, SA.
09/02/1971: Anthony Lopez, Lopez Leathers, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
09/02/1979: Mahomed Tadia, Less Price Fashions, Delmas, Mpumalanga, SA.
09/02/1989: Tahir Jeewa, Traford Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.

In memoriam this week

05/02/1999: Adolf Vymětal (b. 30/05/1916), Zimbabwe Bata Shoe Co., Gweru, Zimbabwe.
07/02/2020: Dave Moss (b. 10/06/1954), Sneakers International, Durban, KZN, SA.
08/02/2016: Vishal Rishidaw, Smiley’s Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
08/02/2020: Mike Wakeling (b. 18/05/1949), Clarks Footwear, UK, Edworks, Jack & Jill and Millana Shoes, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA, Matchpoint Agencies, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
09/02/2006: Hubertus ‘Hub’ Bijsterveld (b. 11/12/1932), Bata Zimbabwe and other Bata companies, Gweru, Zimbabwe.
10/02/1997: Don Craig, Cape Knife, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
10/02/2021: Dhanilall 'Tom' Baijnath (b. 05/11/1938), Western Tailors, Durban, KZN, SA.
11/02/2009: Frederick Bernard Cattell (b. 17/08/1917), Cattell’s, Springs, Gauteng, SA.

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 this week

Acti-Chem SA (Pty) Ltd, Westville, KZN, SA.
DyStar Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pietermaritzburg, KZN,SA.
Mendelson & Frost Tanning Services Division, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.

3. Malawian Kwacha (MWK)

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

4. Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)

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

5. Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL$)

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

Note: For previous rates, see HERE

ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (01 February 2024) - The average hide price increased by 0.10% to R3.283/kg from R3.280/kg in the previous week. The current price is 0.07% higher than the average price a month ago and 21.5% lower than the average price a year ago. The range of prices reported was as follows: Minimum price: R3.25 Maximum price: R3.50. 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, and Zama Sangweni, 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:

Holmes Brothers, Durban, KZN, SA. Surf retailer.
Hopewell Footwear, KZN, SA. Footwear manufacturer.