Speciality chemicals distributor the Solevo Group, which acquired various Rolfes businesses in SA last year to add to its African portfolio, had a teambuilding and strategic session for senior management in Côte d'Ivoire recently. Pictured are the 4 South Africans (from left): Quintin Marais, MD of Rolfes Leather, Justin Ghersie, co ...more

Discussions in Hong Kong: At a recent network session with fellow Footwear Council members from a few other countries while at the APLF, the topic for discussion revolved around the almost flat line and dip seen in manufacturing and exports with no significant increase.Of course, the likes of India and a few others commented on thing ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – The third Africa Agri Tech Conference and Exhibition (AAT), taking place from 18 to 20 March 2025 at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria, is the gateway to the latest AgTech breakthroughs.“The biggest challenges facing food producers today – rising input costs, erratic weather, theft, and logis ...more

Not long ago, Portugal’s footwear industry was on the brink of collapse, drowning under a wave of cheap Chinese imports. Factories shut down, jobs disappeared, and the sector seemed doomed. But instead of fading away, Portugal fought back reinventing itself into one of the world’s most sought-after footwear producers.South Afr ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – The South African Footwear and Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) firmly believes that the future of South African footwear and handbags lies in embracing technology, prioritizing sustainability, and targeting niche global markets. The rise of e-commerce and artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized consumer beh ...more

The interconnected nature of trade, politics, and diplomacy reminds us that no industry operates in isolation. The possibility of South Africa losing its AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) benefits is purely hypothetical, but exploring such scenarios helps us plan for resilience and adaptability. This article is a thought exercise ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – The South African footwear and leather goods industries are navigating a challenging yet potentially transformative period. Shaped by a mix of longstanding hurdles and emerging opportunities, their future remains uncertain as the global market continues to shift rapidly in the wake of COVID-19. While difficulties p ...more

Obituary: Michael Lambrakis – Scotts Group, Frame Group, Poly-Soles, OG Footwear, Kalistos Footwear, Lambella Footwear, Andreoli Shoes, ShoePairMarket (04/04/1945-20/09/2024) ...more

Bubblegummers to be ‘a priority product’Durban, KZN, SA – Broadening Bata South Africa’s brand base is a priority – perhaps the priority – for country manager Lorraine Dyer, who joined in August with a background managing apparel brands including Converse and Calvin Klein.That has been the goal under su ...more

Sponsored by the SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC).The worldwide footwear sector is experiencing notable changes driven by technology advancements, evolving fashion trends, and shifting consumer preferences. Below are the significant trends and shifts in consumer purchasing habits.Current Trends in Footwear1. Emphasis on s ...more

Several SA raw materials make it into H&M’s value chain, but so far, no finished goods ...more

 Durban, KZN, SA – Bata SA country manager Michael Wyatt has been promoted to president of Bata Africa-Middle East and Bata Industrials.The new Bata SA country manager is Lorraine Dyer, who has over 20 years retail and wholesale experience in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.In a release, Bata SA said “her track re ...more

A report from Yahoo Finance on August 27, 2024, reveals that Clarks, the iconic British footwear brand, is closing its stores in India due to "differences over terms" with its local partner, Reliance Retail.This unexpected development underscores the critical importance of aligning with local partners and effectively m ...more

Sponsored by the SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC). Durban, KZN, SA – This year’s SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) AGM – the 22nd – was a much smaller occasion than in previous years, an acknowledgement of a reduced budget. It was, however, quite upbeat.     ...more

Rapid Expansion BackfiresDrip Footwear, a once-promising South African sneaker brand, is facing a severe financial crisis that has sparked intense scrutiny and debate. The company’s rapid expansion into shopping malls has backfired spectacularly, leaving it with a R20 million debt, a foreign exchange blunder, and the looming threat ...more

Artificial intelligence is an innovative and transformative technology that has been making waves across various industries & today is the big buzzword in business. But very few of us understand what AI is and means, including OHS practitioners who are starting to use AI in the OHS field.Firstly, the Occupation Health & Safety fie ...more

Potchefstroom, N.W. Province, SA (17 July 2024) – In South Africa, navigating the rapidly changing landscape of workplace training can feel overwhelming. We are in the midst of a momentous transition to the Occupational Qualification Sub-Framework (OQSF) overseen by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) and this shif ...more

Obituary: Stephan Berrill – Jack & Jill, Paul Moeller & Co., Adidas, Angels Shoes (29/03/1956-15/07/2024) ...more

Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA – What we hear is that both Nike and Adidas are losing sales internationally.Here, however, we’re affected by Nike’s Springbok sponsorship deal – as a sports shop, we can’t get a single Springbok rugby jersey or replica shirt. We couldn’t get them during the World Cup, we cou ...more

Birkenstock’s recent performance is impressive. Some key financial highlights for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, include:* Revenue of €481.2 million, representing an increase of 23%.* Strong double-digit revenue growth across all segments, including reven ...more

A Story of Growth and TransformationHoka, founded in 2009 in France and acquired by Deckers Brands in 2013, has revolutionized the athletic footwear market with its signature “maximalist” shoes featuring oversized midsoles. Its annual sales for the year ending March 31, 2024, reached $1.807 billion, a 27.9% surge, showcasing i ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – After 33 years at the Leather Bargaining Council and at the ripe age of 63 years, the curtains have finally come down. My stint as the General Secretary of the Council and Principal Officer of the Leather Industry Provident Fund comes to an end on 31 May 2024.I had a long journey that was mostly enjoyable and at ti ...more

The Tanning wage negotiation took place on 14 and 15 May. “The parties were unable to reach agreement after 2 rounds of wage negotiations,” Gerald Naidoo, general secretary of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of SA, said on Friday. “The parties agreed to meet again on 10 June as an attempt to reach ...more

Jinja, Uganda (Monday 06 May 2024) – Four leather factories in Jinja City have closed, leaving hundreds of former workers unemployed.The factories are SWT Leather Industries located on Mutibwa Road, Mehaka Leather Exim Smc Limited, Uganda Leather and Tannery Industries, Jinja, and Loyal Small-Scale Industries located on Nile Crescen ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Trade union NULAW accepted the employer's offer of a 7% increase on wages and an increase on the holiday bonus from 6 days’ pay to 7 days’ pay, Gerald Naidoo, general secretary of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of SA, said on Friday. Rival union SACTWU “will consult ...more

The application to resurrect 4Tify Africa – formerly North Safety – and other subsidiaries of African Boomerang Holdings, was withdrawn following the death in March of former CEO Craig Garvie, attorney Kobus van Niekerk, of JI van Niekerk Inc., has confirmed.“The business rescue applications were withdrawn,” he wro ...more

East London, E. Cape, SA – Infix Creations won the best traditional handbag award and was chosen to feature in the trend area, positioning South Africa as a trend leader. This was a very big achievement with world buyers present.  ...more

SAFLEC executive director Nerisha Jairaj took part in session 1 of the Global Footwear Executive Summit, which covered footwear production and its supply chain.The theme of the session was to discuss the current scenario where the demand for footwear is significantly lower than the available supply, and finding a balance for the supply ch ...more

This article is a hybridisation between an artificially generated article and an editor’s contributions in blue. The article was generated using Chat GPT 3.5 and Deepai.org for the image.rnrnChat GPT was asked the question: rnPlease write 1200 words on how human thinkers in the tanning industry will be replaced by artificial intelligence going forward. ...more

Despite gloomy forecasts, research points to brighter prospects for Africa's fashion industry, driven by anticipated population growth. Contrary to what I thought before, it seems the secret does not lie in choosing better leaders but in having more babies :) ...more

  Joins the footwear division of Feltex Industries – later R. Faulks & Co. – as a teenaged apprentice under the watchful eye of his father, Andy Patterson-Roberts, in about 1958. Studies via the SA Institute of the Boot & Shoe Industry and qualifies in 1965. Becomes a supervisor on the production floor in ...more

Traceability is the key, and the danger is that noncompliance will lead to brands moving further away from leather as a material choice because it’s too challenging to source ...more

It’s an increasingly surveilled world – now Big Brother can keep an eye on staff not complying with PPE rules. ...more

Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA – The Association of Construction Health and Safety Management (ACHASM) has appointed 2 new directors.Benny Boyce, who is registered as a Construction Health & Safety Manager (CHSM) with the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP), is the Health, Safety, ...more

Has the R-CTFL Masterplan, launched 5 years ago, done anything to increase local procurement of footwear and leather goods by the chains that agreed to be part of it?It depends on who you ask, and the answers are very different.In the ‘yes’ corner is Michael Lawrence, who wears 2 hats – as director of the National Clothi ...more

For the first time, the Las Vegas Magic show featured an African Textiles and Apparel Pavilion, hosting 68 exhibitors from 35 countries, and organised and sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Africa Trade and Investment programme (USAID ATI) and theProsper Africa US Trade & Investment initiative.The ...more

Windhoek, Namibia – I have been appointed MD of Nakara Tannery & Manufacturing as of January, and I am pleased to report that Nakara has been audited by the Sustainable Leather Foundation and that it is now an SLF compliance partner.With regards to the benefits and learnings during the auditing process:The SLF auditing process b ...more

On 12-13th February SLF deliverED a 2-day workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe where tanneries from Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Zambia cAme together to participate.This was a continuation of the work under the SIPS project that began last year, and the last issue of S&V African Leather reported on the positive results of the work already complet ...more

In other news, on Wednesday 17th January 2024, the EU overwhelmingly voted for the adoption of the Green Claims Directive, with 593 votes in favour, 21 against and 14 abstentions. The Directive that is designed to prevent companies from misleading consumers through “greenwashing” or vague marketing claims, will now go for Cou ...more

A series on successful South African footwear and leather goods exporters. Sponsored by the SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC).A South African delegation returned to Japan’s Fashion World Tokyo trade fair from 10-12 October, for the first time post-covid. Described as ‘Japan’s largest international fashion ...more

Howick, KZN, SA - Despite to the rumours doing the rounds, Bresan Footwear is not in business rescue, but like a lot of businesses in the manufacturing sector, we have been affected by the current state of the South African economy.Post lockdown, the business climate has changed and while we regained our production levels to pre covid lev ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA - The annual Cape Town Cobblers' Lunch, which was first held in 2004, has been discontinued, the organising committee said last week.Brian Schenck, Pierre Marais and Anthony Lopez said declining attendance was behind their decision."Even though there was always great enthusiasm and a lot of chin wagging that to ...more

A busy and turbulent month for the leather industry, particularly in the UK, as we saw one of our oldest tanneries, Pittards, head into administration, resulting in the loss of 150 jobs in the UK and 850 jobs in Ethiopia. That news was followed just a week later with a letter from the Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton to in ...more

An “influencer” who promotes Jim Green Footwear on YouTube has made the claim that it is “one of the only if not the only” South African shoe manufacturers that pays 100% of the prescribed [wage] rate. He said others paid 65% of the rate.The influencer, who operates under the name Rose Anvil, made the claim in a pr ...more

23 August 2023 – TikTok, the popular short-video app owned by China’s ByteDance Ltd., is rapidly growing its TikTok Shop feature in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, where it has found success as a livestreamed marketplace for in-app shopping. The platform’s success in this region is crucial, as it faces potenti ...more

If you had to pick the most used word from the many in the environmental wave which is engulfing the apparel industry, it would probably be ‘sustainability’.There are several other very common terms and words, like ‘global warming’, ‘carbon offsetting’ and ‘biodiversity’.All of them describe ...more

In a tragic turn of events, Laura Ann Carleton, a California store owner, was fatally shot amidst a dispute concerning an LGBTQ+ Pride flag displayed outside her shop. According to The Guardian, Carleton, aged 66, lost her life after a confrontation at her clothing store on August 18, 2023.During the altercation, a male suspect repor ...more

Export via chain retailers, export via brands, export via fairs – all roads that lead to export growth are worth exploring. ...more

Let me stick to the subject of sustainability, which by now is the magic word in every industry. So, everything that you produce must be ‘sustainable’, whatever that means, otherwise the big brands and distribution chains, famous shops, etc., will not buy your products anymore. Since sustainability is interpreted as an environ ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – It’s a difficult position to be in selling imported leathers now as the landed prices from overseas are really expensive compared to local prices. The exchange rate is not helping at all.Clients are also struggling in getting orders from retailers who are always looking for cheaper prices.Basically, it's a st ...more

As most of mainland Europe begin their summer break, it is usually around this time of year that we can take stock, catch up on those administrative tasks and plan for the rest of the year. Well, perhaps it is a sign of our fast-changing industry landscape, that means this year we are still moving at full speed just to stay on top of the ...more

Durban, KZN, SA –I think most businesses had quite a good winter. Boots are being heavily discounted now, but that’s the end of season and everyone is clearing the last of their stock in preparation for summer. However, summer is proving slow. Retailers are taking a wait-and-see attitude, not wanting to commit too far forward, ...more

Pinetown, KZN, SA – The Rainbow Group cc, which includes Borage Textile Laminators, was certified ISO 9001:2015 compliant late last year, allowing it to supply entities which require quality assurance certification throughout their supply line.“Even in a tough environment, that’s helped bring in new business,” said ...more

With a 120-year history in occupational footwear, integrated workplace safety solutions provider BBF Safety Group remains Africa’s largest manufacturer of safety footwear. It also continues to expand its range of head-to-toe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – Medical mask manufacturer Handel Street Medical is gearing up to manufacture 4-ply technology masks made from zinc-embedded polyamide polymer matrix supplied by our technology partner, Ascend Performance Materials.Production, at a rate of 20 000 masks/day, will begin in September 2023 and will be available to ...more

Obituary: Peter Howard – King Tanning, Pelts Products, and others (01/06/1947-26/07/2022) ...more

Five members of the Vinyl Institute of the United States represented SAVA and fellow members of the Global Vinyl Council at the United Nations negotiations on a binding global agreement on plastic waste last week. During ten days in France, the PVC team met with more than 50 national delegations, trade associations, al ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – Bata Group has made several appointments.Bata South Africa's finance director of 2 years, Saket Mohta, has been promoted to regional finance director - Africa and Middle East Region for Bata Group, and is succeeded by Denise Moodley as the first woman FD at Bata SA.Bata SA country manager, Michael Wyatt, said of Mo ...more

USA Newspapers were abuzz on May 23, 2023, when reports surfaced that Target, a prominent retailer, promptly removed certain LGBTQ merchandise from its stores due to significant customer backlash. Target had previously introduced its Pride Collection, an initiative aimed at celebrating inclusivity. However, confrontations between customer ...more

Gerald Naidoo (General Secretary/Principal Officer), National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of SA Durban, KZN, SA - The parties to the Footwear Sector have concluded the 2023 wage negotiations and have reached agreement as follows:(1) Wages and Wage RatesWith effect from 1 July 2023, the basic wage on all prescribed operation ...more

On 15 and 16 May, Northampton University held its inaugural Sustainability Summit with the central theme of “Adapting to a changing world – addressing our shared sustainability challenges”.The 2-day event, which was held at the University’s Waterside Campus, brought together representatives from local, national and ...more

Friday, 16 June, is SA’s last public holiday until August, and a long weekend to boot. We asked an assortment of retailers whether they anticipated an upswing in trade and whether they had made any special preparations. Anca Facauaru, proprietor, Anca ShoesKempton Park, Gauteng, SA - Things are very quiet, with people not having mon ...more

Durban, KZN, SA - The annual Arsutoria footwear and handbag international trends workshops in South Africa - which have run since 2017 - have, over the years, opened a window onto the fashion world for around 200 mainly design staff, most of whom would have had little opportunity to travel to fairs.The courses continued right through Covi ...more

Muhammad Laher, Bombay’s of Nigel/Sports FusionNigel, Gauteng, SA - This has been the toughest start to the year for many years. There are many issues, including of course load shedding and the rising costs of essential products.      That is reflected in the spending patterns in apparel - our school we ...more

Gerald Naidoo, General Secretary/Principal Officer, National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of SADurban, KZN, SA - Feedback on Footwear wage negotiations:      After two rounds of wage negotiations, the parties were unable to reach a settlement. SAFLIA was given until 27 May 2023 to obtain a revis ...more

Gerald Naidoo, General Secretary/Principal Officer, National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of SAGeneral Goods and Handbag Sector:The second round of wage negotiations took place in Cape Town on 03 and 04 May 2023. The Employer Organisation has made the below offer of settlement to the NULAW & SACTWU.1)   &n ...more

Jerry Robins, Elegant ManMatatiele, Mt Ayliff and Mthatha (E. Cape), Kokstad (KZN), SA - Temperatures are down and winter is on its way but we hope that business will warm up.      Times are tough … we are now competing with 25+ new stores post lockdown in our small little town.Nationals and chains hav ...more

On 26 April the Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) announced the successful completion of a tender process with the Joint Action Support towards Industrialization and the Productive Sectors in the SADC region (SIPS) project to support sustainable and environmental compliance for the leather value chain in the Southern African Developmen ...more

Creating safe and sustainable supply chains for leather workers: UNIDO launches new Occupational Safety and Health course targeting the leather manufacturing sector. Acting together to build a positive safety and health culture – a safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. ...more

We asked 20 manufacturers and importers of footwear, handbags and belts what their order positions for autumn/winter were like, and how spring/summer sales were shaping up. ...more

Omar Hassim, Shoe BizBulawayo, Zimbabwe  – The relative stability of the Zim Dollar over the last 6 months has had a positive effect of stabilizing prices and an overall positive effect on trading over the last quarter. December sales have been fairly good up to now and hopefully those dark dreary days of the previous ...more

Tinashe Mandirahwe, former owner of Cathula Sandals in Harare, Zimbabwe, now a Canadian businessman and retail analyst, writes an occasional article for S&V on some aspect of the footwear business. Here he discusses a subject we know well.The theft problem I used to deal with almost daily when I was running Cathula Sandals in Africa i ...more

In a petition put out yesterday by 'change.org, The world's platform for change', (https://www.change.org/), South African consumer Tilla Victor wrote:       Do you know the frustration?      You need shoes for work, a wedding or a hiking trip.       ...more

Readers will note that most respondents this week are from the Western Cape. This is probably because I emailed Western Cape retailers earlier on Saturday than retailers in KZN and Gauteng. I will attempt to get responses from a much wider geographical spread this week for the newsletter to come out on Tuesday next week.Peter Allen, Burto ...more

Feedback from some retailers regarding the December 2022 trading conditions encountered in areas of South Africa and neighbouring states. ...more

BoardridersDurban, KZN, SA  – "A lot of retailers have told me they didn't have a good Black Friday," said Boardriders sales and marketing manager Dane Patterson. "We had a fantastic period."      "Boardriders opened Black Friday to Boardriders Club members from Friday 18th ...more

We asked 35 retailers - mostly privately owned chains and mini-chains - across SA, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini and Zimbabwe - for a 1-sentence comment on Black Friday. Just 10 responded, 1 whose response is under They Said It, 1 to promise a response later today, 1 to say 'no comment', and another to say he didn't offer it. ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – Subject to a package of public interest conditions, the Competition Tribunal has approved the proposed merger whereby Karan Beef Feedlot and Karan Beef (Pty) Ltd intend to acquire the businesses of SK Caine Farming, Caine Farming (Pty) Ltd and Triple A Meat (Pty) Ltd.      T ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA - It's Black Friday on Friday. This American concept only arrived in SA in 2014, and has been viewed with mixed feelings by local retailers. We asked Michael Lawrence, executive director of the National Clothing Retail Federation, how enthusiastic his chain members were about Black Friday, and whether it had a negat ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – The foot count in the Oriental Plaza, Fordsburg, is up, which is an indicator of improved trading, said M.H. Abdulla, member of men's lifestyle outfitter Casual Affair.      "It's not going to be like the old days, pre-Covid, but business is definitely up on last ye ...more

Bedfordview, Gauteng, SA - Retailers specialising in weddings and matric dances were among the worst hit by lockdowns, but for those who survived, there has been a complete turnaround, says Liz de Freitas, owner of Glam & Glitz.      "It started picking up in September last year," she said. &quo ...more

Böblingen, Germany (22 September 2022) - Schill+Seilacher GmbH launched SUCCUIR, a new pre-tannage and tannage at this year’s Lineapelle, September 2022 Trade Fair. The product is based on a triose that is derived from vegetable oil waste streams. A White Paper was also launched at the fair which details the technology. The tec ...more

Iqbal Hajat, Director, Footwear Centre Ltd, in Blantyre, Malawi, answers our questions.Month-by-month, how trading this year has compared with last year AND pre-covid.Generally, we are seeing approximately 20% increase in sales value over last year, but this does not mean we are doing a higher volume of sales; rather it could be due to th ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA - allfashion Sourcing Cape Town will be taking place alongside SA Menswear Week as part of The Week of fashion in 2022 on the 29th September to the 1st October.      allfashion sourcing Cape Town is a business-oriented market place for the textile and fashion industry, combining African ...more

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA - 2022 has most definitely been one of our most challenging years in a long time. The year started off positively, and we have had a few busy months, but overall we are trading way down on previous years.        Staff absenteeism, material supply problems and rising costs a ...more

Durban, KZN, SA - Airways Tailors & Outfitters has adapted to trading conditions by sharing premises and concentrating on its core competence - tailoring. Owner Navin Khoosal has moved into Wayne Matthysen's Bluedot store. "He's the retailer, I'm the tailor," he said.      He said there had &quo ...more

Estcourt, KZN, SA - "Business is challenging," said Mahomed Vahed, proprietor of All Shoes & Luggage. "People don't have money, and it's difficult to source basic core stock, especially of imported goods."      He has transformed his business to cope with changing circumstances. Travel ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Wholesaler Ismail Cassim & Sons cc has acquired the Arno men's footwear brand from Tego Footwear. Further information on its plans will follow.      Arno originally belonged to Villani Shoes, and was its principal leather moccasin, smart casual and sandal brand. From the 1990s ...more

Project Dyad, Leather goods manufacturer, was co-founded by Jessika Balzer and Vincent Urbain. In this issue, Jessika answers our questions. ...more

Pinetown, KZN, SA - As a BBF Safety Group product, Lemaitre Safety Footwear is driven by passion, dedication, pride and a commitment to high-quality products that keep those who build South Africa safe. For over 30 years, Lemaitre has continued to cater for all industries. Our hand-made safety shoes help the tough South African workforce to continue building a stronger nation step by step. ...more

The footwear trade fair goes green with a dedicated area, new certification mark, and a robust awareness-raising activity aimed at the footwear industry ...more

If local manufacturing is to grow, it must find a way of getting into this market ...more

Obituary: Chris Bezuidenhout - The Cross Trainer (11/12/1951-16/12/2021) Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Frame Leisure Trading, T/A The Cross Trainer, is saddened to announce the passing of its beloved General Manager, Chris Bezuidenhout.   “Chris spearheaded many businesses, with the inclusion of taking our company and facili ...more

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, headquartered in Germany, describes itself as the world’s leading applied research organization, and we frequently carry its reports in S&V Footwear & Leather Goods' sister publication, S&V Protect. This report, however, is pertinent for all our publications. ...more

Deborah Taylor, MD of the Sustainable Leather Foundation, took part in a Bangladesh International Investment Summit in November. Here she writes about the summit and visits to tanneries and leather goods and footwear manufacturers. ...more

Financed by its social impact programme, Stellenbosch University is investigating a fish skin tanning project to assist jobless people in nearby coastal communities. ...more

SGS, the French-based testing, inspection and certification company, has joined Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) as a Contributing Partner! ...more

Internationally, leather is under fire both from (unfairly, generally speaking) the animal welfare lobby and (with much more justification in some instances) the environmental lobby. In Europe, which is the epicentre of anti-leather sentiment, individuals and companies in the leather industry have responded by creating bodies to both educate the public of leather's bona fides and to encourage the leather industry to live up to those expectations. ...more

Over the years, women have begun to make up a greater proportion of the workforce, and this includes sectors that have typically been male-dominated such as mining, manufacturing and construction. This increase in women workers in more physical industries shines a spotlight on the need for female-specific safety gear, especially footwear. ...more

Safety footwear has so far survived the pandemic relatively unscathed - no life support from government, and apparently no casualties. ...more

Consumers are increasingly turning towards online retailers to buy apparel. In China, e-commerce now accounts for over one quarter of all non-food retailing. How can brands succeed in this competitive market? It would be wrong to think the 2020 pandemic caused consumers to shift their shopping habits away from ‘bricks and mortar&rsq ...more

Durban, KZN, SA - Shoe machinery expert Brian Wallis died unexpectedly on April 09, aged 75. Born and raised in Port Elizabeth, he entered the footwear industry in his early 20s when he joined British United, at that time by far the dominant force in footwear machinery in SA, where he trained as a machinery technician. There he also met h ...more

Madrid, Spain (April 13, 2021) - Spanish trade fair organiser IFEMA Madrid, which includes the twice-yearly Momad  shoe fairs in its portfolio of over 50 fairs, says digital platforms and services and the hybridisation of its fairs will add 30% to current turnover over the next 3 years, adding more than €40 million in revenue. L ...more

Pinetown, KZN, SA - The Lemaitre Maxeco - now part of the BBF Safety Group's footwear range - has shod generations of South African workers over the last 30 years, and almost 10 million pairs have been produced - a very rare achievement in this country. Every legacy has to start somewhere. It’s a story based on the recollections of ...more

There was a time, not too long ago, when footwear retailers, wholesalers, importers and manufacturers around the globe could rely on the certainty that their specific skills would see them through for time to come. Market forces were relatively simple and could be dealt with effectively. ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – The Leather Bargaining Council is trying to find the below mentioned persons who worked at Trafford Trading (part of the Spectrum Group) between the period 1 May 2003 and 24 February 2004. The Bargaining Council is holding monies that are due to them and would like to give them their money. The Bargaining Counci ...more

Retailability's decision to relocate Edgars' head office in December from Johannesburg to Durban was contrary to a promise made to staff and has left about 60% Edgars' merchandise staff without employment, sources said on condition of anonymity.      In the case of the footwear department, it is understood th ...more

By Anderson Cilliers, training manager, Protekta Safety Gear “In the midst of an ordinary training day, I try to remind myself that I am preparing for the extraordinary.” - Shalane Flanagan Working at heights is globally regarded as one of the highest risk activities on any site whether it be maintenance, installatio ...more

Pinetown, KZN, SA - Lemaitre and Maxeco’s stories began with a series of firsts. As pioneers of the country’s safety footwear industry, it used its first direct injection moulding machine to deliver the first double density PU footwear made available in South Africa. Maxeco has since gone on to become the number one sold safet ...more

By Janine Moodley, The Post,  Dec 23, 2020Durban, Gauteng – It is an end of an era for a Durban shoe repair shop that will close after 99 years of being in business.      Natvai 'Bhikhoo' Harie, a third-generation owner of HD Kalidas & Co in the Durban CBD, said it was a tough decisi ...more

Lagos, Nigeria - The just concluded LLF Digital was an absolute blast! LLF was this year’s edition of the Lagos Leather Fair. The event took place from 19th-22nd November 2020, it was a 100% virtual and was nothing short of amazing. The 4-days were enlightening, filled with insightful conversations, and impactful masterclasses. LLF ...more

Cape Town, W Cape, SA – Any apparel retailer can sell any item of apparel, all apparel retailers are allowed to have all members of staff at work, and the only restrictions now are hygiene - masks, sanitizers and social distancing. That's the situation as of today as far as the National Clothing Retailers' Federation understand ...more

Cape Town, W Cape, SA – Different lockdown levels in different parts of the country from the end of May, "could lead to some really odd situations", National Clothing Retail Federation of SA executive director Michael Lawrence said on Friday. "However, [the National Corivavirus Command Council] has given itself ...more

Germiston, Gauteng, SA – On 1 May when retail level 4 was unlocked there was frenzy in the malls.  Customers were walking around with 4 to 5 bags of purchases from all retailers, revealing that winter purchases had not yet been made. People were also wanting to get out and so there were many feet in the malls. The  result ...more

Germiston, Gauteng, SA – Unfortunately under Section/phase 4 of the lockdown restrictions, Frasers stores are not allowed to trade and we are only doing sales through our online channels. When we open - hopefully by Friday we will receive positive news - we will have a clearer view of how the travel restrictions globally, as well a ...more

Germiston, Gauteng, SA – Since restarting earlier this month, the first week started off with a good buzz, with customers eager to shop after the long recess of lockdown with all clothing stores closed. The past 2 weeks have been slow to quiet. We are far off from our usual trading patterns.        ...more

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – We started up after 2 days of preparing our factory to comply with the new OHS Act. It has been a hectic 2 weeks and the exact number of employees we are permitted to have on site has been a bit confusing. We have been operating with 30% of our staff for the past 2 weeks, which has not been financia ...more

Lusaka, Zambia – Zambia’s crocodile farmers are poised to upscale investment, production and exports of skins following government’s intervention to suspend the 10% export duty on the industry. The removal of the 10% duty on crocodile skins has made some positive impact on the viability of the crocodile business, says th ...more

Durban, KZN, SA - Morgan Naidoo, member of leather indent agent Alan D. Jackson, which has principals in Brazil, India and Pakistan, said most of his customers still had stocks of leather. He said the global drop in hide prices had seen the prices for Brazilian leather drop from US$2.45-2.50/ft² to $2.10, "which is a significant ...more

Baxter's: A good start, now back to 'normal'Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng, SA – The first week was very busy, from Monday to Friday. Now it has slowed down to more-or-less what it was in March.       Observing the regulations has been straightforward because I don't get lots of people coming to the store at the same ti ...more

Düsseldorf, Germany - The organisers of the biennial A+A safety, security and health at work fair have announced that the rates and hall planning for the 2021 edition will remain the same as the 2019 edition. "In order to provide our exhibitors with the best possible support during this period, A+A 2021 will not increase the pri ...more

A.P. Jones: A slow trickle, and glad of itFish Hoek, W Cape, SA – It has been a slow trickle since last Saturday. We are extremely fortunate in that we do have a slow trickle. There are so many businesses out there who have not been able to open and we feel for them. I think that it is all going to be about expectation (or the lack ...more

From today, the leather and footwear sectors, and their suppliers, may resume limited business, from manufacturing to retail, subject to various safety measures. Subject to clarification, it appears that ANY closed footwear qualifies. So far, no mention has been made of leather goods.       In Government ...more

Cape Town, W Cape, SA – Following the announcement that the manufacture and retail of 'winter clothing' will be allowed from May 1, a Government Gazette spelling out the conditions is expected to be published this week.       "We're busy writing a lot of motivations and product lists wh ...more

The first Industry,  Zoom cloud  global  training session for the Footwear and Leather Industry took place this week. The seminars are 1 to 1.30 mins long, every day for one week . The sessions negotiated with Arustoria by Director of SAFLEC, Nerisha Jairaj is intended to ensure continuity of training sessions that equ ...more

Talks around local sourcing also to continueCape Town, W Cape, SA – Chain retailers are expecting "some relief" from government in terms of a resumption of trade, and the National Clothing Retail Federation of SA is suggesting models which would allow that without compromising the health measures of the lockdown, ex ...more

Wholesaler/retailer London Shoes has 4 stores in the Western Cape, each with a different landlord, and each has reacted differently, director Maon Saxe said.       "Landlord 1 is Redefine," he said, "and they've been excellent. Before the lockdown was extended, they offered a 70% discount ...more

What's in a name? A group of outsiders show the footwear industry how it's done.It's probably fair to say that Digital Online Retail Platforms (DORP) - better known as Veldskoen - is South Africa's first global footwear brand. The genius of its creators has been to take a generic South African name, tap into an international market create ...more

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is the leading organization for applied research in Europe. Its research activities are conducted by 72 institutes and research units at locations throughout Germany. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft employs a staff of more than 26,600, who work with an annual research budget totaling 2.6 billion euros. Of this sum, 2.2 billion euros is generated through contract research. Around 70 percent of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s contract research revenue is derived from contracts with industry and from publicly financed research projects. International collaborations with excellent research partners and innovative companies around the world ensure direct access to regions of the greatest importance to present and future scientific progress and economic development. ...more

"This last week has been good, except today, which has been absolutely dead, although Saturdays are normally busy. It's been good since the beginning of the month, but the year as a whole has been about 20% down. We're promoting ourselves through social media, and we've created a website. We wanted to try online retail, but the time ...more

In reaction to the article on Zimbabwe in S&V Footwear & Leather Goods on Friday, retired former PMC director Dieter Zettler wrote: "Like many others I feel deeply about the country as it was part of my sales portfolio between 1965 and 1975 when Rolf [Oltmanns] took it over. At the height of it, Bata in Gwelo produced 40 000 ...more

"We did a bit better this week, partly because it's the end of the month, and partly because it's looking a bit brighter. It's been a tough year." - Zoonate Alli, partner, G. Nabee & Co., Lichtenburg, NW Province, SA. Independent, 2 stores, family outfitter."Friday was reasonably busy, today has been quiet, although we ...more

"This last week has been pretty tough, but July and the first 2 weeks of August were good, which is normally the case. Our winter sale is the last week of July and the first week of August, but generally the momentum carries through to the end of August. We'll have to see whether it picks up next week again. May and June were tou ...more

"Not good. We're normally busy for about 4 days a month - from the 30th, when people get paid, and the first weekend after the 30th - usually the Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The rest of the month is quiet, with upturns over weekends." - Suliman Hajat, manager, First Stop Store, Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA. Independent, 1 ...more

"Thursday and Friday were quite good, today has been fairly quiet. Month end and beginning of the month are generally okay, but it's no more like it was. I've introduced hair braids and cosmetics to the business, and they are doing well." - Shehnaz Desai, manager, Fashion Feet, KwaDukuza, KZN, SA. Independent, 1 store, mainly wo ...more

"It's been okay, not too bad. The last 7 months have been tough, with weekends and month ends okay. Hopefully with Christmas coming up it will improve. We're giving it our best shot." - Sunil Valla, director, Famous Barr, Middelburg, Mpumalanga, SA. Independent, 3 stores, men's outfitter."It's been good. We've had quite a b ...more

"It's been very quiet. Ladybrand as a whole is very quiet since the South African border post has been forcing Lesotho residents - who are the majority of the shoppers here - to queue for several hours every time they want to enter SA. Previously, they got a 6 month stamp in their passports. Footwear isn't a big part of our business, ...more

"Very tough. The month started okay - not great, but good compared to what we've had - but last week and especially this week it has been very quiet." - Nazir Laher, proprietor, Elite Same Day Shoe Repairs, Johannesburg, Gauteng. Independent, 1 store, repairer and men's footwear retailer."A bit quiet. The year started very ...more

"It's quiet at the moment. People come in and take a look, but aren't buying much. Maybe it's the time of month. It's more-or-less the same as last year." - David Novos, manager, Economic Shoe Store, Paarl, W Cape, SA. Independent, 1 store, family footwear."The week overall has been quiet, but there has been a sudden burst ...more

"It's been a bit quiet because of school holidays - a lot of our clients go away. We're a destination store both on the shoe repair side, where we are known for quality repairs, and on the comfort footwear side, where we sell branded men's and women's footwear. Our business is more-or-less evenly split between those divisions. The ye ...more

"It's month end, so it's been a bit busier. More-or-less on par with last month, I'd say." - Zane Mitha, manager, Diski Sport Retailers, Tembisa, Gauteng, SA. Independent, 1 store, sports goods specialist."Nothing great. Much the same as last month. It looks like it will be a terrible year." - Ebrahim Docrat, member, D ...more

Cape Town, W Cape, SA – Former Bolton Footwear sales development manager Jody Henry has left Bolton Footwear to join The Basic Group.       Bolton group sales & creative executive Stuart Hopwood said no-one had taken over his specific portfolio as it had been restructured. The Jordan and Reneg ...more

Johannesburg (SA) – Dangee Carken has appointed Jono Mail as the new brand manager for Roberto Morino.       He has had 15 years’ experience in the footwear industry with Norton Wellworth Agencies brands Galeon and Senor Footwear and is second generation in the footwear industry.   ...more

Durban (SA) – Angel Footwear is launching a new leather sneaker range under the label Evox. Antoine Lailvaux, the developer of this brand, describes them as "on trend fashion, whereby fashion styling and sports shoe technology hybridise to create an exciting segment of fashion footwear". - +27 (0)31 83 270 0256, ant@alage ...more

Cape Town (SA) – The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) India will host its annual trade expo on 21 & 22 February in Cape Town, and it is offering a complimentary economy class return airfare to out-of-town buyers, subject to approval and on a first come first served basis. If you are interested, contact the local show organiser ...more

Today the USAID Hub and the Kenya Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives joined Kenya’s private sector to review and validate a new Kenya National African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Strategy. Since 2010, Kenya has nearly doubled its exports to the U.S. under AGOA, from $225 million to $389 million in 2016. The ne ...more

The investigation by German police into Steinhoff International Holdings NV ended negotiations in December by its Steinhoff Africa Retail subsidiary to take over another SA-based footwear chain, according to a source. No comment was available from either side last week.       Reports in various financial ...more

Saifudin Khalifa, Deputy G/M, Kadisco Paint and Adhesive Industry S.C.Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Generally the industry is developing well, particularly for the exporters. There is a forex shortage which is affecting all business in general but those companies involved in exports are faring better. What I found interesting at the ...more

Pinetown, SA – The demand for cheaper footwear means demand for footwear upper leather has dropped, leaving leather sellers in a difficult position, says Alan D Jackson member Morgan Naidoo. His business specialises in Brazilian leather for better-end footwear, but the pressure is on for alternatives. “The exchange rate has ma ...more

Muhammad Ismail, director, American ShopPretoria, SA – I’d say our turnover is on par with last year. We service the lower end of the market and the main factors affecting our consumers are unemployment and inflation. We sell mostly brands, and we are also very badly affected by counterfeits – they sell ‘Nike&rsquo ...more

Pretoria (SA) – Following response to its earlier announcements about sports footwear design and manufacturing technology in China, the Department of Trade & Industry is keen to attract applications from a wider group of footwear factories. The offer is also open to major retailers.        The criteria would ...more

Cape Town (SA) – ‘Africa is on the Move’. A report from McKinsey & Co. saw African countries being mentioned for the first time in the list of top sourcing destinations for apparel, textiles and footwear. When survey respondents were asked if they plan to increase sourcing from African countries between now and ...more

Cape Town (SA) – Triple M Group founders Marius and Sue Mostert sold the business to undisclosed buyers as of March 1, and have retired.        The wholesale division and retail brands Shoerama, Next Step and Shoeline fall under the umbrella of newly formed parent, Triple M Footwear Company.      ...more

Large African delegations to exhibit at South Africa's Footwear, Textile & Apparel Sourcing Trade Event in MayCape Town (SA) – Source Africa, the world-class sourcing event that supports the growth and development of business, trade and economic opportunities in Africa, will take place on 24 & 25 May at the CTICC in Cape To ...more

Pretoria (SA) – The Department of Trade & Industry has arranged with China for 30 South Africans, who are already in the footwear industry, to be trained in sports footwear design and manufacturing technology in China.The 28-day course will be paid for by the Chinese Government. Successful applicants will need to pay for their ...more

Nairobi (Kenya) – During the launch of the Kenya Footwear Manufacturers Association 5 year strategic plan (2017-2022) the government continued with its commitment towards the development of the sector by announcing the setting up of a US$1 million pool for the establishment of a revolving fund to provide funds to SMEs at a preferen ...more

Cape Town (SA) – The India Leather & Footwear Trade Show will be officially opened by Dr Ivan Meyer, Minister of Finance, Western Cape Government, on Wednesday, 8 March at 10:00am in Hall 4B at the CTICC in Cape Town. The Council for Leather Exports (CLE) and Mr Puneet R Kundal, Consul General, Consulate General of India, Cape ...more

Milan (Italy) – Simac Tanning Tech, the international exhibition of machinery and technology for the footwear, leather-goods and tanning industry, closed with a two-figure increase in visitor numbers compared with 2016, which had already been a record year for the event, and recorded longer exhibition visits. Increases were also se ...more