S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.11 No.21, May 26 2025

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SAFLEC pledges continued pursuit of US market despite reciprocal tariff

Nerisha Jairaj, executive director, SAFLEC

Durban, KZN, SA – The South African Footwear and Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) reaffirms its commitment to the United States market, even as Washington and Pretoria exchange tariff measures. In light of recently imposed reciprocal duties on select South African exports, SAFLEC maintains that the US remains a critical destination—particularly given that they are the largest consumers of the product and that many Asian suppliers now face even steeper Section 301 tariffs, creating a strategic opening for South African manufacturers.
     To chart the path forward, a NEDLAC Export Task Team has been convened, bringing together SAFLEC, its fellow export councils, the South African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU), and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic). A comprehensive survey has just been distributed to industry stakeholders, aiming to diagnose current export conditions, pinpoint obstacles, and develop targeted strategies to retain and grow US business.
     We cannot—and will not—discard years of relationship-building and capacity-development. It is a hard market to enter, and we know that we won’t increase exports overnight.
     Key pillars of SAFLEC’s US-market strategy include:

• Data-driven insights: Leveraging the survey to understand logistics bottlenecks, and financial disincentives underpinning the recent tariff shifts.
• Targeted events: Hosting a dedicated South African Footwear & Leather Showcase in New York, bringing exporters face-to-face with major US buyers and sourcing agents.  We have one event planned this year thus far dropped from our usual three, but this is subject to change if the situation calls for change.
• Alternative sourcing narrative: Positioning South African product as a lower-tariff alternative to Asian competitors—particularly on high-margin handbags and premium leather goods.  Positioning South Africa to the African American diaspora that loves made-in-Africa products.

     We are hoping that the NEDLAC Export Task Team’s input goes beyond tariff mitigation, exploring diversification into secondary US regions, strengthen linkages with diaspora buying networks, and identify emerging mid-Atlantic hub opportunities. These initiatives reflect a shared conviction that South African exporters must be agile, proactive, and united.  It’s all very new and it is work in progress, but something is happening, we are talking and we are planning with good intent to maintain, grow exports and find other markets.
     This is not a time for retreat. We will maximise the NEDLAC task team’s insights, fine-tune our value proposition, and engage directly with US buyers—showing them that South Africa remains open for business, tariff or no tariff.
     As Asian exporters grapple with heightened duties, SAFLEC believes South African footwear, handbags, and leather goods can capture new wallet share. By maintaining a visible, well-resourced presence in the US and by leveraging collaborative government-industry frameworks, SAFLEC aims to not only preserve existing export flows but to catalyse fresh opportunities in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
     Of course, this is our current stance subject to geopolitical and economic as well as local capabilities and capacity and is subject to change as a result of these.

R-CTFL meetings resume

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – The PMO meetings of the main role players in the R-CTFL Masterplan resumed earlier this month after they were stopped at the end of last year. They are now fortnightly rather than weekly.
     National Clothing Retail Federation of SA (NCRF) executive director Michael Lawrence said Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau had indicated that he would find funding to continue with the Masterplan.
     He had also appointed Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Andrew Whitfield, as the political lead for the Masterplan.
     Lawrence said the PMO (the term stands for Project Management Office) was continuing to investigate rebates on component imports.

SAVA: Recycling, AGM and conference

Midrand, Gauteng, SA – The Southern African Vinyls Association (SAVA) will hold a PVC recyclers networking day on Thursday (29 May) at Plastics SA in Midrand from 10:00 to 13:00, followed by its AGM from 14:00 to 16:00.
     The recyclers’ meeting will cover how to become a recycler, how to have PVC waste recycled, and what products in SA can be made from recycled rigid or flexible PVC.
     The SAVA 2025 Conference, which will operate under the theme of PVC transformation: Driving progress in a changing world, will be held on 14 August at the NH Johannesburg Sandton Hotel. It will be held in parallel with a conference for plastic pipes organised by the Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association (SAPPMA).
     More information at https://www.savinyls.co.za/

They Said It

"I’m a numbers man. You have no idea how difficult it is for a numbers man to put things into words." - Michael Lawrence, NCRF executive director.

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

Ansie Clementz, Owner, Clementzau Craft, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Birthdays this week

26/05/1951: Wessel Nolte, formerly Cedar Shoes & Accessories (closed), Bloemfontein, Free State, SA.
26/05/1955: Dr Elibariki Mmari, JAE(T) Ltd, Mwanza, Tanzania.
26/05/1966: Manoj Morar, Impressions, Vryheid, KZN, SA.
27/05/1944: Richard Bunyard, left the industry, formerly GW Cowie & Co, Durban, KZN, SA.
27/05/1969: Dean Tharman, Ten Digits, George, W. Cape, SA.
28/05/1958: Brigitte Davidow, Nakara, Windhoek, Namibia.
28/05/2003: Brett-Lee Jaganik, East Asian Import & Export, Durban, KZN, SA.
29/05/1964: Bevan Lamb, left the industry, formerly Wayne Rubber, Palmer Rubber and Egoli Gumboots (all closed), Amanzimtoti, KZN, SA.
29/05/1966: Prakash Chapaner, KG Chapaner & Co, Gweru, Zimbabwe.
29/05/1980: Andrew Lang, Rolfes Chemicals, Germiston, Gauteng SA.
29/05/1983: Ismail Kajee, Favourite Sports, Newcastle, KZN, SA.
29/05/1987: Saahir Bhamjee, Sbzee Global Trading, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
30/05/1940: Subramonia Balakrishnan, Malar Industries, Ndola, Zambia.
31/05/1951: James Stewart, Tokyo+Co, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
31/05/1959: Mike Ing, The Ing Thing, Howick, KZN, SA.
31/05/1963: Craig Davis, Spunlok, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
31/05/1972: Calay Grecia, Classic Components, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
01/06/1942: Chris Horne, The Little Slipper Company, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.

In memoriam this week

27/05/2002: Stan Austin (b. 28/11/1915), Austin Shoes (closed), Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
28/05/2011: Charles Chavkin (b. 20/03/1930), Charles Chavkin Agencies, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
28/05/2024: Shan Pillay (b. 19/01/1936), Divine Shoes, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
01/06/1992: Harry Gassert, formerly Panther Shoe Co [closed], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
01/06/2021: Rajeev 'Rocky' Kumar (b. 03/08/1967), Vision Sports, Gaborone, Botswana.

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

Best Shoes [Leroy Shoes cc], Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
Der Lederhȁndler, George, W. Cape, SA.
Destiny Footwear cc, Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
Tego Footwear, Pinetown, KZN, SA.
Tego Footwear (Chatsworth factory), 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 Gold (ZiG)

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

Note: For previous rates, see HERE

ABSA Agri Trends: Hides & skins prices

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (19 May 2025) – The current average hide price decreased by 14.25% to R2.483/kg from R2.987/kg a week ago. The current price is 11.47% lower than the average price a month ago and was 22.1% lower than the average price a year ago. The range of prices reported was as follows: Minimum price: R2.00 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, 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:

Harry E. Teifel & Associates cc, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA. Tanning chemical and machinery suppliers.
Hartedief, Hartenbos, W. Cape, SA. Infants’ apparel retailer.

THIS WEEK LAST YEAR!

Vote for change – please

Shipping from China: Problems as vessels ‘redirected to South America’

Wage negotiations: Footwear – no settlement

VF Corporation global results remain poor, but 2 of its brands doing well in SA

READ IT HERE - S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.10 No.22, May 27 2024

THIS WEEK FIVE YEARS AGO!!

Restarting retail
- NCRF: Summer merchandise 'a worry'
- Busby 1: Consumer frenzy
- Busby 2: Awaiting clarity on travel
- American Clothing/The Vault: Started with a bang, now more of a whimper

Restarting manufacturing
- Bresan Footwear: Covering costs main priority now
- Tarzan Shoe Factory: Workers refuse to return

Stock Exchange News Service (SENS)
- Massmart: Covid-19
- Richemont: €2 billion denominated bond
- Mr Price to raise capital for acquisitions

READ IT HERE - S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.6 No.21, May 25, 2020

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: Monday 2 June, 2025. Ad and editorial deadline Friday 30 May.

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

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