S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.11 No.15, April 14 2025

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International footwear and accessories fair for Durban in July

Durban, KZN, SA – Dubai-based fair organiser Verifair is to hold a 3-day footwear fair at the Durban Exhibition Centre from 15 to 17 July.
     Aflex South Africa (https://aflexonline.com/) will be “an international exhibition for footwear, leather products and accessories, machinery, manufacturing technology, components and raw materials”.
     Verifair (https://verifair.org/) organises a broad range of fairs in Africa and Asia. Its flagship footwear and accessories event is Diflex in Dubai, which this year will be from 23 to 25 September. Its first footwear event in Africa was Aflex Kenya, last year.
     Diflex is a finished goods fair, and Aflex Kenya was a mixed finished goods and component fair. Aflex South Africa “shall comprehensively cover the whole value chain of the footwear and leather industry”, Verifair MD Jeen Joshua said last week.
     The local organiser is Capital Media Group, based in Pietermaritzburg (https://capitalmedia.co.za/).
     S&V, which is the media partner, will carry regular updates in the newsletter.

Tariffs

Only 2 businesses responded to our query on Friday as to whether they were being offered more footwear from China as a result of the higher tariffs into the US.

Laurence Lotzoff, Dale Footwear
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – No changes at this time from any of our suppliers but there is definitely a sense of urgency and anxiety on their behalf filtering through.

Jax Snyman The Sweat Shop
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – No, we buy from local subsidiaries of international brands. At the moment I suspect those with stock on hand are just watching the exchange rate and hoping the Rand bounces back before mid-May when ships with AW 25 stock land and they are faced with import duties based on landed cost for product costed at R18/$ and sold to retailers at those costs.

Trading conditions

Greg Bing, A.P. Jones
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Better off than April last year which is the first time there has been an improvement since just after covid. A little cold snap helped – we have a shop full of knit wear – but now it’s heated up again. Hoping things might improve as we go towards Easter. I don’t think the weakening of rand has done us any favours. Just waiting for suppliers to say they need an extra couple of percent.

Mytheresa to acquire YOOX NET-A-PORTER from Richemont

Geneva, Switzerland (11 April 2025) – Mytheresa has received the unconditional merger control clearance from the European Commission for the acquisition of YNAP from Richemont, through its subsidiary Richemont Italia Holding S.P.A.. Mytheresa and Richemont have now received all other necessary approvals from regulatory authorities and plan to close the transaction on 23 April 2025.
     On 07 October 2024, Mytheresa and Richemont signed binding agreements for the acquisition by Mytheresa of 100% of the share capital of YNAP from Richemont, aiming to build a leading global multi-brand digital luxury group. The receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals is the final step for the completion of the transaction. Under the umbrella of “LuxExperience B.V.”, which the combined company will be named following the acquisition, the brands Mytheresa, NET-A-PORTER, MR PORTER, YOOX and THE OUTNET will offer highly curated and strongly differentiated selections of the most prestigious brands for luxury customers with unprecedented reach and relevance.

They Said It

"Just thought that I would advise you that it is my wife Lorraine Bryant’s birthday tomorrow 1St April. She has been part of Greenaway’s Cape Town for almost 30 years now. She runs the books and keeps Nick and I on the straight and narrow. I am also still working and will do so until I am no more. June the 1st I will have been in the industry for 60 years...and still loving it." - An email 2 weeks ago from Rodney Bryant of A. Greenaways, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA, received at 10.22 on 31 March. At 11.12, I received an email from his son, Nick, who divides his time between Greenaways and Profit Safety Footwear. Naturally, I thought Rodney had told Nick about his email, which had prompted Nick to write as well. But no. When I asked Nick, who was in India at the time, he replied: “Mental telepathy? Could very well be. We have worked in the same industry for more than 25 years now. And yet our joint customers whom we visit still tell me he has aged like George Clooney and is far better looking than me. And I’m always reminded he was the fastest thing on 2 legs from 1965 to 1972 at Villager Football Club and Western Province. A shadow, to be honest, which I’m very honoured to live in…”

"Hope you are fine in RSA? We have a wonderful rainy season and are happy." - Henriette Baufeldt, Leather Connection, Windhoek, Namibia, reminding us that the environment is what is REALLY important in the world.

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

Simx Orimo, ETD Practitioner (Leather), Impela Trading cc, Ladysmith, KZN, South Africa
Glenn Mulder, General Manager, DyStar Africa, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa
Dirk de Jong, Sales, Fabtex, Cape Town, South Africa

Birthdays this week

14/04/1946: Pierre Lailvaux, formerly Service Agencies [closed], Durban, KZN, SA.
14/04/1955: Bharatlal Ranchod, Ramjee's Shoe Store, Klerksdorp, NW Province, SA.
15/04/1928: Des Scott, retired, founder, Scotts [closed], Durban, KZN, SA.
15/04/1971: Jacques Ergas, Red Planet Shoes, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
16/04/1952: Russell Lochner, agent, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
16/04/1954: Lynn Sukool, Devan's Footwear Agency, Durban, KZN, SA.
17/04/1948: William James Mail, formerly Norton Wellworth Agencies, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
17/04/1957: Colin Battle, agent, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
17/04/1971: Newald Groenewald, Le Croc Tannery, Brits, N.W. Province, SA.
17/04/1992: Rakesh Morar, Modway Shoes, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
18/04/1976: Neelan Parumaul, Melton Adhesives, New Germany, KZN, SA.
18/04/1989: Pratiksha Pema, Modern Tailors & Outfitters, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
19/04/1946: Mike Pengelly, Trailmix Trading, Durban, KZN, SA.
19/04/2000: Abdul Kader Kader, Kaytex Belts, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
20/04/1948: Michael Hoffmann, Max-Cowell, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
20/04/1954: Barry Clayton, Shoe City, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
20/04/1957: Johnny Kleynhans, ConsulTan, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
20/04/1960: Glen Mitchell, formerly Shoprite Checkers, Cape Town, W. Cape, and Scott’s, Durban, KZN, SA, now a consultant to chains and manufacturers.
20/04/1963: Angie Tootla, retired, formerly The Rose Lady (closed, now Rawhide SA), Stanger/ KwaDukuza, KZN, SA.

In memoriam this week

14/04/2015: Neville Horwitz (b. 25/11/1932), agent, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
16/04/2016: Barrie Walsh (b. 19/03/1949), Eddels Shoes, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
16/04/2023: Shelagh Davy (b. 18/02/1943), retired, formerly editor of Leather International, St Leonard's-on-Sea, East Sussex, UK.
17/04/2021: Mike Peterkin (b. 30/08/1945), agent, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
18/04/2020: Val Barnes (b. 13/02/1943), retired to the UK, formerly Edcon, Durban, KZN, SA.
19/04/2019: Raymond Manuel (b. 12/06/1963), Kronies (closed), Villani, Barker, Bolton Footwear, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
20/04/2015: Moira Pascall, Economic Shoe Store [closed], Paarl, W. Cape, 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

Chicanos [Chicanos Outfitters cc], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
D.P. Sheppard & Co., Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
DyStar Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
Envirotan Water cc, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
Freudenberg Performance Materials [Freudenberg Nonwovens (Pty) Ltd], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
Freudenberg Performance Materials [Freudenberg Nonwovens (Pty) Ltd] Gauteng, Germiston, Gauteng, SA.
Freudenberg Performance Materials [Freudenberg Nonwovens (Pty) Ltd] KZN, Durban, KZN, SA.
RR Chemicals cc, Edenvale, Gauteng, SA.
RR Chemicals cc W. Cape, Strand, W. Cape, SA.
Samfer Equipment Technologies cc, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.

Fairs & events updated last week

August 31-September 03: 22nd UITIC Congress, Shanghai, China.

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 (11 April 2025) – The current average hide price increased by 0.70% to R2.8049/kg from R2.7854/kg a week ago. The current price is 0.21% higher than the average price a month ago and was 17.8% lower than the average price a year ago. The range of prices reported was as follows: Minimum price: R2.75 Maximum price: R3.08. 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, 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:

H. Schneider Retailers, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA. Men’s outfitter.
H.C. Hansen Leather Goods, Bloemfontein, Free State, SA. Leather goods manufacturer.

THIS WEEK LAST YEAR!

Trading conditions

U.S. retailers call on president to overturn footwear duties out of China

Fashion with lower environmental impacts: supply chain decarbonization and durability of textile products webinar

In case you missed it! : The March issue of S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine

READ IT HERE - S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.10 No.16, April 15 2024

THIS WEEK FIVE YEARS AGO!!

Chains seek end to retail standstill

Covid-19: More DTIC notifications

Zambeef starts mass face mask production

Ihlobo Footwear: Extension for offers

NULAW statement on wages over lockdown

Death notice: Malcolm Hill, who spent most of his long footwear career with Bata SA

Stock Exchange News Service (SENS): Woolworths - Covid-19 update and trading statement

READ IT HERE - S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.6 No.15, April 14, 2020

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: Monday 21 April, 2025. Ad and editorial deadline Friday 18 April.

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

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