S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol. 12 No. 10, March 09 2026

Download PDF

To prevent our emails from being false flagged as spam and to ensure you receive our publications, please consider white listing our email address - tony@svmag.co.za

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

PPE conference opens tomorrow

Kempton Park, Gauteng, SA – The PPE Conference 2026 opens at Emperor’s Conference Centre tomorrow. Under the theme ‘PPE isn’t optional: It’s essential’, there will be 20 papers over the 2 days. For further information, see https://safety1st.co.za/ppe-conference/

Quiet time during fasting

Durban, KZN, SA – “It’s quiet for us at this time of year because we’re in a predominantly Muslim area,” Adam’s Cycle World proprietor Mohammed Adam said on Friday. “Muslims are fasting and not many of our customers are cycling, but it will pick up at the end of the month.” His business concentrates on repairs rather than new bicycle sales “because people in this area don’t have that sort of money”. He also sells accessories, including cleated cycling shoes, “and that’s consistent business”.

‘Challenging times’, but door still open

Estcourt, KZN, SA – “Challenging. That’s the only word I can come up with,” Mohamed Vahed, proprietor of All Shoes & Luggage, said on Friday. “I’m grateful that my door is still open.” His business concentrates on comfort and health footwear, with average prices around R900/pair, and is a niche, destination outlet in a small town. “A lot of our business comes from word of mouth,” he said. “There isn’t a podiatrist in Estcourt, but we do get recommendations from the local physiotherapist, and that helps.”

They Said It

"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” - Winston Churchill, speaking on 05 March 1946 of the takeover of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union in the aftermath of the Second World War. It gave the world the term ‘iron curtain’, and demonstrated his political insights and his brilliance as an orator. I wonder what he would say of the world today?

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

Khanyisile Nkosi, Occupational Hygiene and Environmental Officer, Rand Water, Gauteng, South Africa

Birthdays this week

09/03/1967: PJ Moloisane, Trade & Investment SA, Sandton, Gauteng, SA.
09/03/1982: Romal Sewsunker, Sunstep Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
10/03/1951: Mrs M Balakrishnan, Malar Industries, Ndola, Zambia.
10/03/1958: Nigel Dunning, retired, formerly Mimosa Extract Co., Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
11/03/1956: Sarah Gedye, Michelle Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
11/03/1959: André Meyer, formerly Green Cross, Bloemfontein, Free State, SA.
11/03/1968: Brett Laing, Grounded, Cape Town. W. Cape, SA.
12/03/1937: Alastair MacGregor, retired, formerly Colin D. Bailey (absorbed by BU Technical, since closed), Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
12/03/1966: Matthew Hansen, CL Hansen Agencies, Durban, KZN, SA.
12/03/1967: Shenaz Desai, Fashion Feet, KwaDukuza/Stanger, KZN, SA.
12/03/1988: Mohamed Yaseen Jeewa, Traford Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
13/03/1959: Salim Moosajee, Seltex, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
13/03/1964: Albert Dale, AFD Industries, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
13/03/1965: Eleugene Human, Johnson Controls SA, Uitenhage, E. Cape, SA.
13/03/1966: Ebrahim Shaikh, Kinkle Investments t/a Shoe Lala, Durban, KZN, SA.
13/03/1977: Sarah Chapman, designer, Durban, KZN, SA.
13/03/1981: Colin Muir, emigrated, formerly Pasacojo Marketing Services, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
14/03/1958: Berno Dumas, Bolton Footwear, Great Brak River, W. Cape, SA.
14/03/1966: Silvan Pillay, Shoe Biz, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA.
14/03/1988: Zamani Oliphant, SAFLIA, Durban, KZN, SA.
15/03/1960: Judy Friend, Safari Leathers, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
15/03/1965: Neil Solomons, Bolton Footwear, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
15/03/1972: Vanyo Mangaliso, Sun Goddess, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA.
15/03/1973: Jacky Hay, Little Slipper Co., Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
15/03/1974: Tim Pittaway, Ostrich Emporium, Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.

In memoriam this week

09/03/2016: David Opie (b. 11/01/1963), Hippo Bag & Screen (closed), Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
10/03/2004: Steven Naidoo, Nasron Footwear, Durban, KZN, SA.
10/03/2017: Kevin 'Tubby' Hannaford (b. 05/11/1949), Moulded Footwear Components (closed), Durban, KZN, SA.
11/03/1993: Doug Roberts, Clarks SA/Kingsley Shoes [both closed], Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA.
11/03/2005: Des Orme, (b. 27/11/1924), Panama Shoes (closed), Durban, KZN, SA.
11/03/2013: Donald Henry Gough (b. 02/07/1922), Barker Footwear [now Bolton Footwear]/FMF [now SAFLIA], Cape Town, W. Cape, SA.
11/03/2024: Doug Patterson-Roberts (b. 06/06/1943), Kronies Footwear and Shoe Boyz in Pinetown [both closed], and Marchez Shoe Salon (closed), Shelly Beach, KZN, SA.
13/03/1997: Denis Kalil, Payless Shoes (closed), Durban, KZN, SA.
14/03/1988: John Begg, BU Shoe Machinery (closed), Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA.
14/03/2024: Mike Sayer (b. 05/11/1943), BEC Sales, Cape Town, 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

Freequency Footwear [Andromeda Shoes (Pty) Ltd], Johannesburg, Gauteng, 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 (06 March 2026) - The current average hide price increased by 0.55% to R2.320/kg from R2.307/kg a week ago. The current price is 0.62% higher than the average price a month ago and was 17,0% lower than the average price a year ago. The range of prices reported was as follows: Minimum price: R2.25 Maximum price: R2.78. 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:

J. Gerdes Uniwear, Windhoek, Namibia. Workwear retailer.
J.M. de Barros, Cape Town, W. Cape, SA. Orthotics and prosthetics.

THIS WEEK LAST YEAR!

Trading conditions (respondents in business alphabetical order)
- Business
-- Pepkor buys Choice Clothing
-- Shoetech resurrected as Shoet3ch

Stock Exchange News Service (SENS)
- Food still carrying the business as fashion and Country Road restructure

READ IT HERE - S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.11 No.10, March 10 2025

THIS WEEK FIVE YEARS AGO!!

Business
- Namibia
-- Hoped-for upturn hasn't happened yet

- South Africa
-- Zed Menswear: Level 1 has been great - so far
-- Yankees: Month-end spending spree

Competition Tribunal: SAPS face mask supplier accused of excessive pricing

Bargaining Council: Council seeks former workers who are owed money

READ IT HERE - S&V Weekly Newsletter Vol.7 No.10, March 8 2021

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

All the past S&V Weekly Newsletters from January 2016 onwards are available in the newsletter archive.
VIEW THE ARCHIVE - CLICK HERE

Contact us

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

Next newsletter: Monday 16 March, 2026. Ad and editorial deadline Friday 13 March.

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

Our website www.svmag.co.za