The European Commission’s latest proposal to simplify the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) timeline has sparked debate, and arguably a little relief, across global supply chains. However, while there are signs of continued flexibility, the message from the European Commission in Brussels remains firm: the regulation is ...more

There are many factors other than reluctant chain buyers that contribute to the SA leather value chain’s problems ...more

7 Leagues is a Canadian fish skin leather tannery. CEO Tasha Nathanson previously wrote an article for S&V African Leather outlining the fish skin leather industry globally. 7 Leagues has been reinventing itself, as she explains below. You can also see more here: https://www.7leagues.com/ ...more

Idris Pandor, Gem SchoolwearDurban, KZN, SA – Retail sales have picked up considerably since Monday and the trend will continue till the 14th. Each year with the volume of customers coming into the store we employ over 100 parttime staff in both our retail stores to assist with the sales. These PT staff get hands-on experience in th ...more

Jannie Vermeulen, Ekspa and Adno’sBenoni, Gauteng, SA – Up until October, it was a tough year, but then it started to improve. We had a Black Friday offering, and quite a few parents took the opportunity to buy early at lower prices.     December was up on the previous year, and our first day of tradin ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – Reunion Footwear had a slow start to the year, as did most local shoe manufacturers, with elections slowing the retail trade.However, the second half picked up nicely and in particular our Angelsoft sandal production increased to 600 pairs per day and the brand/product is growing nicely year-on-year.  ...more

In the last week no less than three companies have spoken with SLF about the lack of industry cohesiveness when it comes to external representation. Complaints that our existing support organisations are not doing enough to ensure the industry’s opinions and concerns at inter-governmental level are regularly heard. ...more

Horgen, Switzerland – Tanneries rely on complex machinery and an extended supply chain to process hides, which takes several months to a year from when the hides depart the slaughterhouse until the finished hides reach the final customer. Despite advances, most of the leather industry's supply chain operates in traditional methods t ...more

Wolwehoek, Free State, SA - Midland Tannery, which processes hides from the vertically integrated Midland Group’s feedlots from raw to wet blue, wet white and finished leather, “is considering its options”, GM Rudie Nieuwoudt confirmed on Friday, in response to speculation about its future.He said a decision would be mad ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA - Trade is quiet at the moment, but winter is always quieter for us, and we expect it to pick up with summer.We get a lot of tourists at our Paarden Eiland store, and they tend to kit themselves out. Local customers at our other stores tend to buy what they need, as they need it.Sourcing has improved. We buy from di ...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

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - In a press release today, the association Proudly South African – which advocates buying locally-made goods to encourage job creation – says South Africa currently “has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world…which is even worse when looking at youth unemployment”.It sa ...more

Nairobi, Kenya – The Kenyan Government has appointed a new board of directors for the Kenya Leather Development Council (KLDC) for a 3-year period.In a release on its website, the KLDC said Capt. Mohamed Abdikadir Adan is the chairperson with effect from 05 April, 2023.“Capt. Adan and his new team will steer the Council, in re ...more

Michael Wyatt, country manager, Bata SAPinetown, KZN, SA - We will only know the outcome of retail BTS sell out in February - January is too early to tell. But as a manufacturer and wholesaler we saw double digit growth vs. 2021 for full year sales, so another successful year for our brands.  Jannie Vermeulen, Ekspa Fabrikante/Adno's ...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

To start, we’d like to acknowledge the work the NRCS is doing with regards to safety footwear and the PPE categories they regulate. The enormity of the task is sometimes overlooked but, taking into account that safety footwear only came into the NRCS portfolio a few years ago, it is still a relatively new category for them with an exhaustive number of both local and imported styles to consider. ...more

Eugene du Toit, BBF Safety Group technical managerTo start, we’d like to acknowledge the work the NRCS is doing with regards to safety footwear and the PPE categories they regulate.  The enormity of the task is sometimes overlooked but, taking into account that safety footwear only came into the NRCS portfolio a few years ago, ...more

Spurred by the unlikely combination of athleisure and lockdowns, comfort footwear has become a category for every brand. Comfort footwear, comfortable footwear, wellness footwear, health footwear - different names and shades of meaning - but until fairly recently, in South Africa, mostly footwear for one category of end consumer, dominated by a few brands and a few specialist retailers.rn ...more

Windhoek – Most businesses had expected an improvement in the economy at the beginning of the year, but in fact conditions had continued to decline, said commission agent Neurath Botha, who represents Bolton Footwear and Kaytex Belts.      "One of the most important economic drivers here is touris ...more

How long will stitchdowns be a fashion item this time around? It’s hard to predict but I believe stitchdowns current popularity will continue for many more seasons, especially locally due to price and the versatility of the traditional Veldschoen silhouette.  Fashion fluctuates depending on the times so the Vellie demand w ...more

Press releaseLionRock Capital to acquire majority stake in Clarks. Clark family to remain a key shareholder in the business. Partnership will secure a sustainable future for the 195-year-old world-renowned British shoe brand. The investment from LionRock Capital is conditional on shareholder approval and on a Company Voluntary A ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - In a country where many learners walk long distances to and from school, shoes are an essential item. Proudly South African, the country’s buy local advocacy campaign, together with members of the South African Footwear & Leather Export Council are promoting the purchase of locally manufactured school ...more

Pinetown, KZN, SA - In correspondence with Hans Beier, Chairman Emeritus of the Beier Group (Pty) Ltd over plans to resurrect local manufacturing of synthetic upper materials for footwear, he wrote: "Yes, we have developed a 1.8mm PU school shoe upper material which is presently undergoing field trials and laboratory approvals agains ...more

Westmead, KZN, SA – We, as all non-essential businesses, had to close our doors on the 26th of March. We continued to work from home but in reality, as we are a manufacturing concern, all we really did was apply for TERS, Saft and the SMME Finance Relief Fund. The TERS was a nightmare to apply for as different formats were req ...more

Several manufacturers have said they have yet to receive money from the UIF for their employees.Moda Shoes is a family footwear retailer with 3 stores in Pretoria.       "It seems that UIF payments have started to filter through to some factories," SAFLIA director Jirka Vymetal said, "but ...more

Munich, Germany (September 12, 2019) - EU Commission staff will soon be receiving location-based danger alerts on their mobile phones from an app that calls their attention to potential hazards such as a building fire, a suspicious package or the threat of an attack. Called EUWARN, this new warning system was launched in Brussels on Septe ...more

The Southern African Footwear & Leather Industries Association (SAFLIA) was also a signatory to the export charter unveiled at the SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) AGM in July.       In the report in the last S&V Footwear & Leather Goods Magazine, John Comley was listed as a ...more

Skin, Hide & Leather Council (SHALC) AGM, at the Intercontinental Hotel, OR Tambo Airport, May 26 ...more

From the Secretariat  ICAC  Washington, USA – The membership of the EU in the ICAC is of strategic significance to the world cotton industry and the 150 million people involved in cotton production, marketing and processing each season. Some of the most important trade and research institutions in the world of cotton are h ...more

Urgent call to SA visitors to APLFThe feasibility study on the formation of a Leather Research Institute will be officially handed over at the APLF fair in Hong Kong by the Institute for Creative Leather Technology (Northampton University) to the dti, Exotic Leather South Africa and SHALC. Interested industry stakeholders attending the AP ...more

Correction: Last week’s article contained inaccuraciesPretoria (SA) – The Footwear & Leather Industries Cluster (FLIC), approved by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in January as the replacement for the National Footwear & Leather Cluster (NFLC), has still to be registered as a legal entity before it can s ...more

Pretoria (SA) – The Footwear & Leather Industries Cluster (FLIC), approved by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in January as the replacement for the National Footwear & Leather Cluster (NFLC), has still to be registered as a legal entity before it can start operating, but its focus will be on “enabling inte ...more

Johannesburg (SA) – Stuttafords’ creditors will meet next Monday to hear progress on efforts to rescue the company. In the meantime, they’re being encouraged by business rescue practitioners Neil Miller and John Evans of Mazars to accept 1 of 2 alternative plans to restock the company: a consignment agreement, or an ag ...more

Pretoria (SA) – The Programme Approval Panel of the IDC’s Clothing & Textile Competitiveness Improvement Programme has approved the formation of a new national cluster to replace the former National Footwear & Leather Cluster, according to acting GM Ernest Heunis.Likely to be known as the Footwear & Leather Industr ...more