S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.10 No.53, December 30 2024

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Best wishes for the New Year to all our readers. To those who did well in 2024, congratulations, and may your success continue. To everyone else – us included – it’s surely time to reinvent ourselves in a different world.

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

Lloyd Naidoo, Best Shoes
Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – Sales have been very low and there is very little hawker trade in the area. Shein and Temu definitely have taken up market share. Even our staff shop online from Shein. 2024 has been extremely challenging and we're hoping that trade will improve in 2025.

Suresh Parekh, Bachelor’s Classic
Umhlanga, KZN, SA – Trading has been down on last year. Speaking to other retailers, they’re estimating down 10% to 15%, and it would be in that range for us, too.
     We normally do well with holiday trade in December, but this year, Johannesburg visitors arrived late and returned early. I think political infighting has been a problem. The year overall has been slow, since March.

Sam Mayet, Barrenger’s Clothing & Shoes
Lenasia, Gauteng, SA – The month started okay and has remained that way. It’s almost the same as last year. We’re still a bit below target, and we’re not going to get there now, that’s for sure.

They Said It

"Last week I thought we had somehow made a cock up in the newsletter issue numbering somewhere along the way, but it turns out there ARE 53 Mondays this year." - Jonathan Commons, who sends out our publications and maintains the website. Separately from him, I ALSO thought we’d made a mistake, so I started changing the numbering on everything, only to have to change it back.

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

Joelene, Export Sales and Operations Coordinator, BBF Safety Group, Pinetown, KZN, South Africa

Birthdays this week

31/12/1958: Neil Burnham, Joslyn’s Shoes, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
31/12/1964: Colin Teifel, Harry E. Teifel & Associates, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
01/01/1937: Franco Polia, freelance designer, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
01/01/1946: Stan Smidt, former agent for Bolton Footwear, retired, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
01/01/1947: Chris Ryder, former consultant, retired, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
01/01/1952: Cecele Therese 'Carrots' Doyle, former agent, retired, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
01/01/1965: Selwyn van Aarde, Barker Footwear, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
01/01/1999: Verushca Esterhuizen, African Leather & Skins, Paarl, W. Cape, SA.
03/01/1946: Johannes Kruger, Perfect Shoes, Keetmanshoop, Namibia.
03/01/1948: Dave Lloyd, retired, formerly Bata SA, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
04/01/1956: Allison Gans, GW Cowie & Co., Pinetown, KZN, SA.
05/01/1950: Roger Durrbaum, retired, Barker Footwear (now part of Bolton Footwear), Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
05/01/1952: Charles Poole, Design Unique Belts, East London, E. Cape, SA.
05/01/1957: Herman Alheit, Dick Whittington Shoes, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
05/01/1965: Jay Lalloo, Decofurn, Durban, KZN, SA.
05/01/1983: Andreas Lambrakis, Europa Art Group, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
05/01/1963; Hugo Zuanni, Leather Link, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
05/01/1977: Peter Lin, C.Y. Lin, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.

In memoriam this week

30/12/2016: Michael O’Connor (b. 11/12/1951), Jensen Belts [closed], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
31/12/2003: Peter Craythorne (b. 28/02/1935), BUSM [closed]/Woodheads, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
31/12/2000: Nols Jonker (b. 10/06/1944), Watson Shoes, Great Brak River, W. Cape, SA.
01/01/2012: Balduin Heimann (b. 30/06/1932), agent, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
01/01/2021: Alvin Reginal Naidoo (b. 27/02/1970), Angel Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
04/01/2004: Rob Gowie (b. 01/07/1938), GW Reynolds/Rob Gowie Components/ Fashion Components/ Plasticone [all closed], Pinetown, KZN, SA.
05/01/1996: Henry Ogus (b. 09/02/1944), Bata SA, Shoes for Africa, Johannesburg, 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.

3. Malawian Kwacha (MWK) (buying)

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

4. Zambian Kwacha (ZMW) (buying)

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

5. 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 (20 December 2024) - The current average hide price increased by 0.09% to R2.806/kg from R2.803/kg a week ago. The current price is 0.02% lower than the average price a month ago and 14.54% lower than the average price a year ago. The range of prices reported was as follows: Minimum price: R2.75 Maximum price: R3.09. 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:

Ska Clothing, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA. Online casual wear retailer.
Skeerpoort Handelshuis, Skeepoort, N.W. Province, SA. PPE reseller.

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: Monday 06 January, 2025. Ad and editorial deadline Friday 03 January.

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

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