S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.10 No.29, July 15 2024

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Shipping: Again, a spike in delays, and container prices stay high

Durban, KZN, SA – Shipping from the Far East via Durban harbour is currently seeing a spike in delays, according to Shaun Ribbink of synthetic upper material importer A. Greenaways (Natal). Non-functional equipment in Durban is the biggest single cause, but there are also issues with the turnaround times of vessels to- and from China, with goods there awaiting vessels.
      Ships are waiting in the roadstead outside the harbour for 12 to 28 days before berthing. Once in port, there are problems with various types of cranes, with reportedly many out of order, including some which have been waiting for parts for up to a year, according to sources in the harbour, he said.
      “I’m used to delays of 10 to 11 days,” he said, “but when it gets longer it creates problems for us and our customers.
      “The lead time for goods from China now is 3 months – 2 to 3 weeks to manufacture, 5 weeks on the water, and a month to dock, offload and clear.”
      Greenaways has reduced its wholesale stockholding.
      On top of the delays, shipping prices are still high.
      He said average prices for 20 ft containers from China, which cost US$1650 to $1850 before May this year, now cost $5500 to $6500.
      Durban is the main port of entry for footwear components, and SAFLIA executive director Jirka Vymĕtal said delays compounded manufacturers’ problems. “Local manufacturers are in a very bad place at the moment,” he said, “and that is really not an exaggeration. I am trying to engage with the DTIC to see if they can help with the situation, as I have done over the past couple of years. The situation seems to be getting worse and this is of great concern.”
      Durban is also, with Cape Town, the port of entry for most footwear imports. “More footwear through Durban than Cape Town is my assumption,” said Jannie Kriel of IS Training Consultants, who is contracted by SAFLIA to help train Customs staff on footwear importing tariff issues.

Masterplan: Retailers ‘being encouraged’ to talk to manufacturers

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Following a request in May by former Minister of Trade, Industry & Competition, Ebrahim Patel, at a Retail-CTFL Masterplan weekly PMO meeting, “all retailers who were signatories of the Masterplan are being encouraged to meet with footwear manufacturers, on a one-on-one basis, to see what local footwear manufacturers can competitively offer”, National Clothing Retail Federation of SA (NCRF) executive director Michael Lawrence said last week.
      “This isn’t a generic approach,” he said, “it’s individual businesses talking to each other. Footwear manufacturers have said at the meetings that retailers are not willing to talk to them. We are definitely making more of an effort to encourage retailers to do so. This is a work-in-progress.”

WAM: Thin pickings in KZN CBD

Durban, KZN, SA – Like so many others, WAM Agencies GM Wayne Matthysen says business conditions are the worst he’s ever experienced.
      WAM, which specialises in importing men’s denim, chinos and shirts, and leather weave footwear, from India under the Ferradini label, sells almost exclusively to independents. “The covid lockdowns hurt retail, but the 2021 riots finished off the Durban CBD,” he said, “and that’s where most of my customers were. Now there are 7 or 8 left. And look at it – it’s like a slum. The Pietermaritzburg CBD isn’t much better.”
      Independents trying to operate in shopping centres are battling rentals that are disproportionately higher than chains pay, he said.
      WAM sells Ferradini nationwide through a network of agents. In KZN, it has taken on the Pringle clothing and footwear agency for FrontierCo.

Shadows: Awaiting outcome of court case

Durban, KZN, SA – The 6-store Shadows Group minichain, whose stores were sealed by the Sheriff of the Court 5 weeks ago, “are closed CURRENTLY”, director Mohamed Nazeem Alli said in an email last week, in response to a belief among creditors that the group is in liquidation.
      He said they were closed “subject to a court action that is scheduled for the end of the month for the return of our stock and a possible damages claim. At that stage we will reassess our options.”
      The stores were trading as Shadows, Rockport, Bgz, and The Emporium, and specialised in men’s clothing and footwear.

Deco Memories: Depending on tourists

Morné Pienaar, director
Knysna, W. Cape, SA – Deco Memories is a permanent stall within “The Foundation” which is a combination of 20 or so individual stalls.
      Each individual stall owner is required to keep the stall stocked but there is a single pay point for all the stalls.
      We have to stock locally manufactured items and we focus on local footwear brands.
      We are 75% dependent on tourism. Business is always better during holidays for us.

Upmarket sports stores for Ballito

Ballito, KZN, SA – Ballito Junction Regional Mall, north of Durban, has added 2 specialist sports store tenants during its revamp. It said The Pro Shop and Cycle Lab were “a perfect fit for the large golfing and cycling community in our area”.

They Said It

"Pretty sure that without the use of animals or plants or plastic products we will all be walking around naked one of these days.😊 At least we will be lean as there will also be nothing to eat." - Susan Swart of the SA Taxidermy & Tannery Association (SATTA) on growing global movements to recognise the sentience and consciousness of animals and, increasingly, plants.

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

Hisham, Designer, Orsala Overseas, Chennai, India
Ron, Johannesburg, South Africa
Usithabisile, Test Officer, SABS, Pretoria, South Africa

Birthdays this week

15/07/1933: Joe Powell, formerly Footwork, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA, retired to Uvongo, KZN, SA.
15/07/1950: Joram Philip Wakari, agent and retired former director of the Leather Association of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
15/07/1968: Freddy S. Kabala, Leather Association of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
15/07/1971: Philipp Rein, Thurling Investments, Mossel Bay, W. Cape, SA.
16/07/1954: Lex Devlin, emigrated, formerly ACA Threads, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
16/07/1956: AR Noorbhai, Razno Agencies, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
16/07/1974: Marisca Ras, The Health Shoe Shop, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
17/07/1947: Hennie van der Merwe, retired, formerly, Klein Karoo International, Oudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA.
17/07/1951: Julia Novitzky, La Ricci Leathers, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
17/07/1970: Kota Wessels, A.J. Rankin & Basson Sport, Ceres, W. Cape, SA.
17/07/1973: Tanya van Tonder, Inno Textiles, Hammarsdale, KZN, SA.
18/07/1950: Magda Erlank, Me Boutique, Newcastle, KZN, SA.
18/07/1963: Peter Colombo, formerly Hippo Bag & Screen [closed], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
18/07/1964: G.H. Omarjee, A.M. Omarjee & Sons/O'Jees, KwaDukuza, KZN, SA.
18/07/1973: Sanjay Bhagwandas, Ginger Bhagwandas Exclusive, Durban, KZN, SA.
18/07/1974: Zunaid Gathoo, Shoe Zone, Sasolburg, Free State, SA.
18/07/1996: Marno Koen, Vellie Boutique, Boksburg, Gauteng, SA.
19/07/1946: Mohamed Iqbal Ahmed, A.V. Mohamed & Sons, Louis Trichardt, Limpopo, SA.
19/07/1967: Fatima Do Tanque, Super Save, Aliwal North, E. Cape, SA.
19/07/1968: Hussein Feyssa, Hafde Tannery, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
19/07/1977: Shantell Sables, Elan Polo, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
21/07/1961: Klaus Manock, Manock Naturals, Durban, KZN, SA.
21/07/1965: Gavin Cooke, Rebel Safetygear, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.

In memoriam this week

15/07/2020: Carlo Longano (b. 22/08/1956), Bodynamics Institute [closed], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
16/07/2004: Frederick (Fred) Howard (b. 16/02/1918), King Tanning Company [closed], King William’s Town, E. Cape, SA.
17/07/1979: Abe Smidt, agent, Bolton Footwear, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
20/07/????: Ivy Cunningham (b. 16/10/1919), In Step Shoes [closed], Pietermaritzburg, 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 last week

Deco Memories (Pty) Ltd, Knysna, W. Cape, SA.
Smiley’s Footwear (Pty) Ltd, Durban, KZN, SA.
Tego Footwear, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
WAM Agencies (Pty) Ltd, Durban, KZN, SA.

3. Malawian Kwacha (MWK) (buying)

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

4. Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) (buying)

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

5. Zimbabwe Dollar (ZWL$) (average) / Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG)

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

Note: For previous rates, see HERE

ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (11 July 2024) - The average hide price decreased by 0.04% to 3.208/kg from R3.209/kg a week ago. The current price is 0.1% lower than the average price a month ago and 4.8% lower than the average price a year ago. The range of prices reported was as follows: Minimum price: R3.00 Maximum price: R3.25. Price movements will be highly influenced by developments in the status of our animal diseases. 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:

Sweet-Orr & Lybro, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA. Workwear manufacturer.
Swift Dip, Thabazimbi, Limpopo, SA. Dip & pack taxidermy.

THIS WEEK LAST YEAR!

Tinashe Mandirahwe of RetailFundi.com wrote about "Gen Z’s contribution to the rise of counterfeits in fashion"

Richemont first quarter sales were 14% up on the back of Chinese rebound

READ IT HERE - S&V WEEKLY NEWSLETTER VOL.9 NO.29, JULY 17 2023

THIS WEEK FIVE YEARS AGO!!

5 Retailers reported a quite week of trading.

Zama Luthuli of the IDC responded to questions regarding closure of Cape Town factories.

Woolworths reported better performance.

Odette Barrett had recently taken over the role as the Truworths ladies' shoes, bags and accessory buying manager.

READ IT HERE - S&V WEEKLY NEWSLETTER VOL.5 NO.28, JULY 15, 2019

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