S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.10 No.11, March 11 2024

Download PDF

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

It’s tough out there, say agents

Bruce Harrower, agent
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Back to school was very good, but during February, in our area, the fashion side was very tough. There are nodes where business is doing well – it’s not all gloom. A lot of that has to do with location, but that can be contradictory, with one retailer doing well and a nearby retailer not doing well – in those instances, I think it’s down to having a bigger product range, and a positive outlook. There’s a lot of hope that the upcoming long weekend, and Easter not long after, will be good. We need it.

Craig Kourie, agent
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – I’ve been in the trade 33 years and I’ve never seen it so bad, and it’s very erratic. A retailer might have a bad Sunday, then do quite well on Monday or Tuesday, and not necessarily linked to month end. I think quite a few consumers still have money, but they’re being more cautious about what they spend. My customers are also being cautious. They don’t want to cancel, because I have good brands, but they want to roll their orders forward.

Anonymous, agent
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – We’re having a heat wave in Jo’burg at the moment, just when we’re putting in winter stock, and we’re not getting any feedback from the chains. Ask me after Easter.

Death notice

Hilton, KZN, SA – Doug Patterson-Roberts, owner of Marchez Shoes in Shelly Beach, KZN, SA, and previously a footwear manufacturer at Kronies and Shoe Boyz, among others, died this morning, aged 80. An obituary will follow in the March edition of S&V Footwear & Leather Goods magazine.

In case you missed it!

The February issue of S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine

CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT ONLINE

S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine Vol90 No2 February 2024

IN THIS ISSUE:

03 Upfront
- The R-CTFL Masterplan, 5 years on: It’s done nothing for us, most footwear sources claim, but plan’s backers say they ‘need to engage more’.
- The confusing story behind woven fabrics: Tariff codes – correctly applied – offer in-depth information on what goes into products, but they can make duties very complicated.
- The manufacturers’ experience: Bata SA’s growth ‘has nothing to do with Masterplan’; ‘Our chain business has shrunk dramatically over the 5 years,’ says another.
- A chain’s view: TFG – ‘We’re buying more in SA and SADC, but if we can’t find what we want here, we import.’
- MBA thesis research: Strategies for footwear startups – ideas and input requested, by George Newton.

13 Headlines with Tinashe Mandirahwe
- New Balance ventures into Cambodia.
- North America: The largest and most attractive clothing and footwear market, according to BMI report.
- Bison leather boots by Patagonia – a tale of innovation, conservation, and craftsmanship.
- India and South Africa’s footwear markets today – a tale of contrasting fortunes.

19 Export & Trade
- Magic: Lots of news about African pavilion, but we can’t get hold of it.
- Rowdy Bags: Wrong hall, but useful all the same.

17 Trends
- ‘Tactical footwear poised for growth,’ writes Tinashe Mandirahwe, and he picks out Southern African firms as examples.

23 Notice Board
- Obituary: Mussa Hajat, Footwear Centre – Malawi’s Mr. Footwear.

23 Trade Statistics
- South Africa: December imports and exports of footwear and accessories, provided by SARS.


Advertisers in this Issue
APLF Fashion Access (04), APLF Materials + (05), Arena Trims (08), Freestyle Genuine Handcrafted Leather (OFC), Haesloop Agencies (10), Kaytex Belts (12), Leather Finishing Products (14), Partisan & Co/Palladium/Ben Sherman (01), Saddler Belts (06), SAFLEC (09), S&V Calendar (15), S&V Directory (11), Seadoone Shoes/Solite (02), Shotland Packing (17).

They Said It

"That made me laugh about the rebate store – nothing has changed in 40 years!" - Allison Gans, G.W. Cowie & Co. Agencies, Durban, KZN, SA, on a They Said It from last week.

"Yes, less problems." - Shane Mohamed, Barkly West, W. Cape, SA, explaining why he moved from apparel retailing to the motor trade. He opened a Tiger Wheel franchise in 2016 which he was running in parallel with a long-established business, Barkly West Trading Co., trading as Mohamed’s General Dealers. He closed that business in December.

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

11/03/1956: Sarah Gedye, Michelle Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
11/03/1959: André Meyer, Green Cross, Bloemfontein, Free State, SA.
11/03/1968: Brett Laing, Grounded, Cape Town. W. Cape, SA.
12/03/1937: Alastair MacGregor, retired, formerly Colin D. Bailey [absorbed by BU Technical, since closed], Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
12/03/1966: Matthew Hansen, CL Hansen Agencies, Durban, KZN, SA.
12/03/1967: Shenaz Desai, Fashion Feet, KwaDukuza/Stanger, KZN, SA.
12/03/1988: Mohamed Yaseen Jeewa, Traford Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
13/03/1959: Salim Moosajee, Seltex, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
13/03/1964: Albert Dale, AFD Industries, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
13/03/1965: Eleugene Human, Johnson Controls SA, Uitenhage, E. Cape, SA.
13/03/1966: Ebrahim Shaikh, Kinkle Investments t/a Shoe Lala, Durban, KZN, SA.
13/03/1977: Sarah Chapman, designer, Durban, KZN, SA.
13/03/1981: Colin Muir, emigrated, formerly Pasacojo Marketing Services, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
14/03/1958: Berno Dumas, Bolton Footwear, Great Brak River, W. Cape, SA.
14/03/1966: Silvan Pillay, Shoe Biz, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
15/03/1960: Judy Friend, Safari Leathers, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
15/03/1965: Neil Solomons, Bolton Footwear, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
15/03/1972: Vanyo Mangaliso, Sun Goddess, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
15/03/1973: Jacky Hay, Little Slipper Co., Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
15/03/1974: Tim Pittaway, Ostrich Emporium, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
16/03/1961: Doc Motala, Crown Footwear, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
16/03/1965: Rod Bloom, Barksole Shoe & Bag Repairs, Cape Town, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
16/03/1979: Matthew Boltman, Noo Shoes, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
16/03/1987: Pankaj Mistry, Superstar Fashions, Vereeniging, Gauteng, SA.

In memoriam this week

11/03/1993: Doug Roberts, Clarks SA/Kingsley Shoes [both closed], Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
11/03/2005: Des Orme, (b. 27/11/1924), Panama Shoes [closed], Durban, KZN, SA.
11/03/2013: Donald Henry Gough (b. 02/07/1922), Barker Footwear [now Bolton Footwear]/FMF [now SAFLIA], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
13/03/1997: Denis Kalil, Payless Shoes [closed], Durban, KZN, SA.
14/03/1988: John Begg, BU Shoe Machinery [closed], Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
16/03/2008: Tilly Amery, FISA [closed], Durban, KZN, SA.
17/03/1995: Kees Pulles, Futura Footwear [now Bata SA], Loskop, KZN, 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

A.M. Badat cc, Piet Retief, Mpumalanga, SA.
Ahmed Tayob cc, Polokwane (Pietersburg), Limpopo, SA.
All Shoes & Luggage, Estcourt, KZN, SA.
Angel Footwear Manufacturers cc, Durban, KZN, SA.
Angelsoft Shoes [Reunion Footwear Components cc], Durban, KZN, SA.
BC Creation, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Fashion Extreme, Estcourt, KZN, SA.
Ragie’s [Asya Trading (Pty) Ltd], Zeerust, N.W. Province, SA.
Reunion Footwear Components cc, Durban, KZN, SA.
XLNT Agencies, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.

3. Malawian Kwacha (MWK)

Source: https://www.rbm.mw/

4. Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)

Source: https://www.boz.zm/

5. Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL$)

Source: Source: https://www.rbz.co.zw/

Note: For previous rates, see HERE

ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (07 March 2024) - The average hide price decreased by 0.13% to R3.282/kg from R3.286/kg a week ago. The current price is 0.07% lower than the average price a month ago and 21.9% lower than the average price a year ago. 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:

Step Ahead Shoes, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA. Footwear retailer.
Step Ahead Shoes, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA. Footwear retailer.

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: March 18, 2024. Ad and editorial deadline Friday 15 March.

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

Our website www.svmag.co.za