S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.10 No.14, April 2 2024

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Trading conditions over long weekends – mixed picture

Anton Klopper, Kloppers
Bloemfontein, Free State, SA – We had 2 very good long weekends. Over these weekends we had a lot of sport activities in Bloemfontein. The SA Junior tennis, the Super 8 tennis, the SA Junior squash and a big hockey festival. That had a good spin off on our camping and outdoor departments. Fishing is booming. Luggage is on par. The fishing and camping at our Cape Gate, Stellenbosch and Somerset West branches are doing exceptional well.

Martin Cohen, L. Cohen Outfitters
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – What I can say is that March we were up by about 20% in turnover. Last couple of weekends have been slightly better, but trade remains bearish.
      My business is on the market after 112 years, of which I've been running it for last 47 years. Deserve retirement at age of 72!

Dane Patterson, Board Riders
Durban, KZN, SA – Unfortunately, I am more on the wholesale side so do not know exact retail trading patterns. I do know that speaking to a lot of the guys we supply that trade has been tough the last 2 months or so. It also depends on the region; I believe Western Cape is probably still quite buoyant while KZN and Gauteng have struggled. KZN has just never been the same since the beach and water crisis. I believe many holiday makers that used to regularly holiday in KZN have now migrated to the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. So big holiday periods like December and Easter are not nearly as successful in KZN as they typically used to be.

Angelique Caples, Glen’s Shoes & More
East London, E. Cape, SA – The last long weekend was very quiet, especially the Thursday public holiday. We opened for the morning but did no business. The week leading up to Easter long weekend was a little better as customers were looking for church shoes (black heels and lace-ups for the ladies) but the Saturday was very quiet. We didn't open the Friday and Monday of Easter weekend.

Competition Tribunal approves co-op merger

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (01 April 2024) – The Competition Tribunal has conditionally approved the merger wherein Sentraal-Suid Co-operative Ltd (“SSK”) intends to acquire Die Humansdorpse Landbou Koöperasie Beperk (“HLK”) and the properties owned by HLK via its subsidiaries.
      The conditions, imposed by the Tribunal on the proposed transaction, relate to employment and transformation initiatives.
      SSK is a limited liability primary agricultural co-operative, headquartered in Swellendam, in the Western Cape. It has retail outlets in the Western Cape and also has some stores in the Eastern Cape. Its core business is the supply of agricultural inputs and implements required by farmers.
      HLK is a limited liability primary agricultural co-operative with its head office in Humansdorp, in the Eastern Cape. It has retail outlets in the Eastern Cape and also has some retail outlets in the Western Cape. Its core business is the supply of agricultural inputs and implements required by farmers.
      A more detailed press release will be issued once any confidential information in the conditions has been finalised.
 

TFG appoints CFO

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA (28 March 2024) – As was announced on SENS on 13 October 2023, Anthony Thunström has been fulfilling the role of both Chief Executive Officer and executive financial director of the Company since 1 December 2023. It was further announced that the Board had commenced a process to recruit a Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
      In accordance with section 3.59 of the JSE Limited Listings Requirements, the Board Ralph Buddle has been appointed as CFO and executive director of the Company with effect from 01 April 2024. The appointment follows an extensive internal and external executive search. He will also be appointed as a member of the Risk Committee.
      He has been the Group's Head of Finance & Advisory since September 2023. He previously served as interim CFO of Oceana Group Limited and as a senior finance executive at Woolworths Holdings Limited.

In case you missed it!

The March issue of S&V African Leather Magazine

CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT ONLINE

S&V AFRICAN LEATHER MAGAZINE VOL18 No3 March 2024

IN THIS ISSUE:

02 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.

04 Upfront
- After 47 years and some change, Exotan/Cape Karoo International’s Jerome Ingenhoes retires.
- Drought leads to shortage of elephant hides for exotic leather tanners in Zimbabwe, writes Johnny Kleynhans.

05 An Eclectic View
- Apprentices, not graduates. The future of training in the leather industry has changed with the closure of the University of Northampton’s Institute for Creative Leather Technologies, writes H. Procter.
- SA-based former Nene College graduates Granville Steyn and Ali Hakimi mourn the passing of an era.

08 Leather, Its Image & Its Place In The World
- Deforestation is the number risk topic facing our industry, writes the Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Deborah Taylor.
- Sustainability issues will be core focus for new Leather & Hide Council of America president Kerry Brozyna.
- Leather and other ‘natural’ materials unite to promote their image through a design competition.

13 Technology
- Upgrading vacuum dryers on a budget – Turato Ricambi’s Paolo Turato explains the benefits of the Italian company’s new developments, Raptor and Velocis.

14 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.

15 Agriculture
- Farming for the future with modernised systems, by Schneider Electric’s Clive Roberts.

16 Trade Statistics
- SA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for January 2024, issued by SARS.



Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (03), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (07), Mimosa (OFC), Rolfes Leather Division (09), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (02), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (10), Sustainable Leather Foundation (04).

They Said It

"Re the Nike story last week [mentioning placing more emphasis on wholesale]: I hope that all we independent retailers have the balls to tell Nike to get stuffed. Although we have not stocked Nike for some time, we have shown tremendous growth in the form of Asics, Hi-Tec and Olympic. You want my business back, I want to see you and your high powered decision makers grovel first. Even then, I might tell you to get stuffed a second time. Oh, it’s so lekker to be 63 and fearless." - Greg Bing, A.P. Jones, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.

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

New subscribers last week

Presto Viswamo, Regional Design Studio Project Manager, Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Neetu Gopichand, Administrator, Creative Footwear, Glen Anil, KZN, South Africa
Thobeka Mbambonduna, Footwear Technologist, Vaal University of Technology, Gauteng, South Africa
Agnes Alberts, Financial Manager, Nakara (Pty) Ltd, Windhoek, Namibia
Jeetesh, Paid Media Manager, Bolton Footwear, Cape Town, South Africa
Daniel Poisson, Chemist, Écofaune boréale, Québec, Canada
Martin Phiri, Masophi Entreprise Limited, Lusaka, Zambia
Chante, Librarian Data Analyst, Novus Group, Gauteng, South Africa

Birthdays this week

01/04/1960: Steve Hildebrand, (?) formerly agent, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
01/04/1969: Jenny Hopkins, agent, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
01/04/1973: Rennie Thambiran, Borage Trading, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
02/04/1969: Chris Govender, Evané, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
02/04/1970: Gerhard Rossouw, CG Distributors, Paarl, W. Cape, SA.
02/04/1974: Shaheen Hoosen, Kana’s Wholesalers, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
02/04/1984: Lloyd Naidoo, Best Shoes, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
03/04/1959: Grant Harris, emigrated, formerly Shoe Strip Services [closed], Pinetown, KZN, SA.
03/04/1963: Bruce Wilson, Hotter SA, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
03/04/1973: Brent Maron, Bolton Footwear, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
03/04/1974: Kate Horne, Little Slipper Co., Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
03/04/1973: Mahomed A Osman, Foam & Upholstery Centre, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
04/04/1938: Colin Kemp, Chamberlain Phipps, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
04/04/1962: Tammy Pillay, (?) formerly Edcon, Durban, KZN, SA.
05/04/1952: Rajesh Shah, United Footwear Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya.
05/04/1955: Bruce McKenzie, BJM Agencies, Midrand, SA.
05/04/1963: Lourenco Mendes, Shuler Enterprises, Harare, Zimbabwe.
05/04/1964: Alastair Dean, emigrated, formerly Amber Footwear [closed], Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
06/04/1979: Hetesh Daya, Daya & Sons, Durban, KZN, SA.

In memoriam this week

01/04/2001: John Rider, Colin D Bailey/BU Shoe Machinery (closed), Pinetown, KZN, SA.
01/04/2002: Paul Moeller (b. 20/07/1931), PMC Group, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
03/04/2020: Malcolm Hill (b. 14/06/1931), formerly Bata SA/Beier Footwear, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
04/04/2005: Graham Michel (b. 09/02/1958), agent, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
06/04/1979: George Cowie, GW Cowie & Co, Durban, KZN, SA.
06/04/2021: Marco di Lembo (b. 30/07/1973), Villani Shoes, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
07/04/2022: Hans Beier (b. 02/10/1936), Beier Group, Pinetown, 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

L. Cohen Outfitters, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Leatherite International (Pty) Ltd, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
LGB Distributors, Roodepoort, Gauteng, SA.
Strassberger Skoene (Pty) Ltd, Clanwilliam, W. Cape, 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 (22 March 2024) - The average hide price decreased by 0.09% to R3.281/kg from R3.284/kg a week ago. The current price is 0.31% lower than the average price a month ago and 13.7% 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:

Street Fever, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA. Retailer.
Streethouse Clothing, Windhoek, Namibia. Retailer.

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: April 8, 2024. Ad and editorial deadline Friday 5 April.

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

Our website www.svmag.co.za