SV Q&A With David Cohen, CEO of Superbalist Group of CompaniesQ. Please confirm the acquisition, including when it took place.A. We recently acquired The Athlete’s Foot South Africa in September 2025; we’re really excited about it. It’s a strong, well-loved brand and it fits into what we’re building across the ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – SAFLIA is to have a change of executive director next year when Jirka Vymĕtal retires after a handover period to Zamani Oliphant.Vymĕtal joined SAFLIA in March 2014. He said the aim was to retire by end April to ensure “a smooth and thorough handover”.Oliphant, who is an attorney, will start on 01 Feb ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA (07 November 2025) – Asics South Africa has appointed Sean van Wyk as its new GM on 01 January. He replaces Barry Mellis.Asics’ director emerging markets EMEA, Stefan Heinrich, said in statement: “Barry has been leading our business operations in South Africa successfully since 2018 making Asics a ...more

New York, U.S. (12 November 2025) – Brand management company Bluestar Alliance has completed its acquisition of workwear and lifestyle brand Dickies from VF Corporation. It said in a release that “the addition of Dickies reinforces Bluestar Alliance's position as one of the world's leading brand management firms, bridging ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Veldskoen Shoes, which went into business rescue in July, “is trading much better than it was when we started”, BR practitioner Julian Empedocles, of Almaz Consulting, said on Friday.“There’s been an amazing turnaround. I decided to move the business back from Woodstock to its origina ...more

Counterfeiting is no longer confined to imitation designer goods sold in back-alley markets. It has become a widespread and organised trade that threatens fair competition and the rights of legitimate businesses. At its simplest, counterfeiting means the deliberate manufacture and sale of goods calculated to resemble genuine branded produ ...more

Boksburg, Gauteng, SA – During 2022/23 my wife fell ill with Covid and we decided to get our daughter, Tania Ellis, involved in the business to enable me to spend more time with Alice. Alice eventually passed away 17th January 2024 after 55 years of married life and as we’re all getting older, I decided to keep Tania on, with ...more

I met Colin Pedlar for the first time when we had the opportunity to take over a production plant in Lesotho.It was quite a daunting prospect starting a new business in a foreign country.Colin was very involved right from the start and tackled every hurdle calmy, from negotiating with the Lesotho Government to moving machinery to Lesotho. ...more

Umhlanga, KZN, SA – SAFLIA’s application to the International Trade Administration (ITAC) to increase the minimum duty on most imported footwear, from R5/pair to R20/pair, and in the case of safety footwear, to R50/pair, is still “in the process”, according to SAFLIA executivedirector Jirka Vymĕtal, speaking last ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Ernie was raised in a strong, principled household. Ernie’s father – a naval man with sharp business acumen and a steady temperament – and his mother, who was uncompromising in her pursuit of fairness, instilled in him the values of discipline, justice, and integrity that would define his l ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – South African safety footwear manufacturers and importers will have to wait until 08 October to get answers from the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) after a 3-hour, 30-minute Microsoft Teams ‘stakeholder meeting’ on 11September overran its timeslot – and that was afte ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (17 September 2025) – Fidelity Services Group has acquired a majority shareholding in SSG Holdings, following all requisite regulatory approvals. The acquisition will expand Fidelity’s footprint to more than 256 locations and grow its workforce to approximately 69 200 employees across Southern Africa. ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Retail in South Africa is not for the faint-hearted. Retailers across the country have felt the strain — from potholes that go unrepaired, to water outages in our homes and in the shopping centres where we operate, to the load shedding that still lingers in outlying areas of the country. Every day b ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – The Competition Tribunal has conditionally approved the proposed merger in which Pepkor Trading (Pty) Ltd will acquire the retail brands and businesses of Retailability (Pty) Ltd i.e. Legit, Style, Swagga (including the Beaver Canoe brand) and Boardmans. Once the merger is implemented, Pepkor Trading will ass ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Retired former footwear manufacturer Colin Pedlar died after a long illness on 18 July 2025, aged 79. An obituary will follow in the September issue of S&V Footwear & Leather Goods.  ...more

SAFLEC 23rd AGM, 06 August 2025, Umhlanga, KZN: Extracts from the reports ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – The South African handbag manufacturing industry holds significant export potential, “yet it currently receives relatively little intervention”, in the view of SA Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) director Nerisha Jairaj.“Over the past few years, I’ve realised that our handbags ...more

The eThekwini Footwear Leather Cluster (EFLC) is aimed to empower local manufacturers, and we’ve managed to implement programmes as per our business plan (i.e. export development, market access, world class manufacturing, product design & development and sustainability).EFLC also launched the Retail New Market Project to acceler ...more

Grahamstown, E. Cape, SA – Following the registration of Australian students, and as part of its conversion to a distance education/online international leather training provider, the International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) has updated its tannery wastewater treatment course.In conjunction with Johan Barnard’s Enviro ...more

Benoni, Gauteng, SA – Cossen, a micro footwear manufacturer-cum-retailer founded by entrepreneur Nelisiwe Cossa, is 1 of 5 new entrepreneurs being helped to establish itself as a viable business by shopping centre group Vukile Property Fund in its Daveyton Mall in Benoni.Having herself learnt the basics of design, pattern cutting an ...more

The Leather Industries Research Institute (LIRI) was a research, education and training provider located on the Rhodes University campus, based in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. In 1938, the Rhodes University College initiated a small, but successful tanning/hides/skins section in the Chemistry Department. The department was formed as a resp ...more

Africa is moving towards greater integration, towards opportunity, and towards self-sustaining growth through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).This presents a timely and strategic opportunity for Ethiopia to leverage its natural renewable resources, its growing technological base, and its skilled workforce to take its plac ...more

In 2018, the United Nations industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) launched its ‘Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employment Creation Project’ (LISEC) in Ethiopia. Funded by the European Union (EU), which invested €13.75 million, the project has been centred around Modjo City.It has focused on reducing migration by ...more

‘China taking advantage of rock bottom hide prices’rnDuties on U.S. hides – opportunities for other countries? ...more

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (12 April 2025) – The Modjo state-of-the art leather manufacturing facility and a renovated satellite laboratory are intended to spearhead Ethiopia's leather industry and foster sustainable employment opportunities.The project is a collaborative initiative, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by t ...more

Sadly, Denis Manning passed away on Tuesday, 18 March after a battle with cancer, 11 days before his 71st birthday.Denis arrived in South Africa with his wife, Jane, in March 1976 and settled in Pinetown. He joined Kronies as a trainee factory manager and worked there for many years, firstly with Hans Krohn and Doug Roberts and then ...more

Tony Jelinski – who was also known as Mighty Mouse and whose personality, friendships and business acumen were a lot bigger than the biggest mouse you have ever seen.Due to my age of 84, I am the dinosaur of the partners of the PMC Group, of which Everflex, Tony’s sphere, was such a big part.I was responsible for getting Tony ...more

Marondera, Zimbabwe – Eagle Italian Leather (Pvt) Ltd and Eagle Italian Shoes (Pvt) Ltd, which operate as a combined tanning and footwear manufacturing business and which were set up about 20 years ago to supply the Zimbabwean Government with military boots, are expecting to reopen, director Francesco Marconati said this month.He sa ...more

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

My career journey is a testament to a passion for craftsmanship. I was born and raised in Tehran, Iran, and completed my high school education in 1974. Shortly thereafter, I spent two years working in my father's engineering company, where I was exposed to numerous industries. It was during this time that I discovered my interest in leath ...more

IntroductionBiocides and fungicides are used at different stages of the leather-making process. However, bacteria and fungi are still able to grow on finished leather, and especially vegetable tanned leather. The reason for this is that sweat from footwear can act as a carbon source for microbial growth, or that the concentration of fungi ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (21 February 2025) – The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, accompanied by the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture, T.P. Madlopha-Mthethwa and industry role-players met with King Misuzulu kaZwelithini at the eMashobeni Royal Palace in Nongoma to discuss the ongoing challenges posed by Foot and Mouth Disea ...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

Barry Turner joined British United Shoe Machinery (BUSM) in Port Elizabeth in the 1970s, when PE was still a major footwear manufacturing centre and BUSM was the preeminent machinery and component supplier to the footwear industry. He got in touch with S&V last year looking for fellow BUSM old boy Johannes (Hannes) Harding, who, with ...more

Stay Slow. Stay Real. Enjoy the Journey.03 December 2024 – The Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) has pledged its support to the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus. The caucus, founded by district of Maine congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Washington district’s Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and California's Sydney Kamlager-Dove ...more

Grahamstown, E. Cape, SA – This year, the International School of Tanning Technology will become just that – international – and our first 2 foreign customers have signed up before we launch.All our courses have been redeveloped for online tuition.Given the shock announcement last year that the University of Northampton ...more

Steelmaker Arcelor Mittal – Iscor in the good old days – announced the imminent closure of 2 plants, in Newcastle and Vereeniging. While Vereeniging is a major industrial area, Newcastle has been dependent on the jobs provided by coal mines – many now closed – and the steelmaker. We asked leather and apparel busine ...more

Salma Muhammad, Bhamjee’s Shoe CentreJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA – It’s an absolute disaster. For the year up to December, we’ve been trading at 50% of what we normally trade at, and this month – when we would expect turnover to be much, much higher, we’re trading at what we would normally trade for the r ...more

Durban, KZN, SA - While local footwear manufacturing has dropped by 15% from January to August, footwear imports have risen by almost 35% in the same period, according to Jirka Vymĕtal, executive director, Southern African Footwear & Leather Industries Association.“Imports this year to August were up, year on year, by 34.5% to ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – My forecast for 2024 is that production will be 12.5% down on last year. Meaning 41,690,000 pairs.The last time we saw such low volumes was in 2007.My forecast for next year is that production will be stabilised at the same level as this year – let’s say 42,000,000 pairs. However, with some serious inte ...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

IntroductionEnzymatic bating is an important part of the leather making process. Bating enzymes help remove unwanted skin components from the hide structure, as well as any scud present on the grain layer. Good bating leads to clean, soft leather. Under bating results in poor removal of unwanted skin components, and a firmer crust leather ...more

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

Expansion AnnouncementOrthoLite, a leading manufacturer of comfort foam insoles, has announced it is expanding its European facility in Almansa, Spain. This strategic move aims to enhance production capacity, innovation, and speed-to-market manufacturing, enabling OrthoLite to better serve its brand partners ...more

This September, SAFLEC, accompanied by a group of trailblazing members funded by the Italian Trade Agency, made a significant and impactful presence at Simac Tanning Tech, Lineapelle, Micam, and Milan Fashion Week.More than a routine industry visit, this participation was a strategic initiative designed to gather high-level intelligence a ...more

Anaerobic leather - most people have heard of the leather find that was a shoe or a bag from antiquity, stored in a preservation condition that has allowed the relic to last several hundred years without being broken down. Is this the model of how, as a material, leather can be stored in a fossilised form taking carbon out of the atmosphe ...more

The IULTCS Young Scientist Grant Programme for 2025 is underway. The details follow and further information can be found on the IULTCS website https://iultcs.org/ or by contacting the IUR chair, Dr Volker Rabe (Volker.rabe@tfl.com).Background:The IULTCS is committed to co-operation between the individual member societies and to providing ...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

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition sponsors local manufacturers of non-sports products to exhibit at the Comrades Expo. This year, that group included: ...more

IntroductionMost new tanners learn, either through courses that they attend, or from experienced tanners in the tannery where they are employed, that it is important to use normal salt (sodium chloride) in the pickling process prior to tanning in order to prevent acid swelling of the hides or skins. Almost all wet blue plants use salt in ...more

IntroductionThe leather processing industry is constantly evolving, thanks to the introduction of innovative technologies and advanced software solutions that are gradually taking it to ever more advanced automation horizons. One of the leading companies in this evolutionary process is Erretre, which for almost 50 years has been developin ...more

Umhlanga, KZN, SA - Online retailers Temu and Shein are undercutting local retailers in part because they’re not paying all the tax on products they should be, SAFLIA executive director Jirka Vymĕtal said on Friday.“Investigating their products, we discovered that SARS has a standard import duty on small parcels of 20%,&rdquo ...more

All the South African-owned factories who speciaiise in supplying volume orders to chains, and who agreed to comment, said volumes had dropped and that some of their chain customers openly said they had gone back to China.There have been casualties: In KZN, Nikkita Footwear Manufacturing, Prisaan Footwear, De Javw/Footech and Everstrong S ...more

The 8th annual ARSUTORIA 1-week Footwear & Leather Workshop in Durban and the ARSUTORIA 1-day Handbag & Accessories Workshop in Cape Town took place earlier this month.Below, Stefano Migliavacca, who runs International Projects at Edizione AF Srl, which also operates the ARSUTORIA school in Milan, says that to be successful export ...more

Whether you’re selling to your local market, or trying to export, you have to find your own identity. You cannot compete head-on with the East. Even if you offer similar footwear, there must be points of difference that offer value to your customers.In terms of export – and that is ultimately the goal of these courses – ...more

Chinese online retailers Temu and Shein, which deliver parcels to individual consumers directly from China, have opened a loophole for noncompliant safety footwear and respiratory protection equipment to enter SA.The safety footwear styles offered by both do not have National Regulator for Compulsory Standards (NRCS) approval numbers, and ...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

In a fascinating 3-way Teams discussion (4, but I was just an observer) last month between SATRA’s Dr Christine Anscombe, the ISTT’s Dr Clive Jackson-Moss and Authenticae’s Karl Flowers, the likely future of training in the tanning industry in Europe, and in countries which traditionally sent students to Europe, took som ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – In response to criticism that the R-CTFL Masterplan has not delivered benefits for footwear manufacturing, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel, who attended the virtual PMO core meeting last week, asked the footwear representatives, representing SAFLIA and SAFLEC, to compile a full list ...more

Umhlanga, KZN, SA – Following an investigation by SAFLIA, Chinese online retailer Temu said after last week’s report that it had withdrawn all safety footwear from its South African portal.SAFLIA found that Temu’s safety footwear didn’t comply with the marking and certification requirements for safety footwear in S ...more

Alfonso Smerilli has had a long and varied career in the South African footwear industry and now, just shy of his 52nd birthday, and in a sector which is mostly struggling, he’s embarked on his most challenging role yet – as a factory owner, blazing a different trail.His start in the footwear industry was with a factory owned ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – We found the fair to be excellent and, in many ways, back to the old glory days where everybody that we do business with around the globe attended.  We had current and past customers visit us from North America, South America, Europe, Australia and of course the East (which included Japan, Korea, etc).T ...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

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – The group monitoring the progress of the R-CTFL Masterplan – the PMO Core – “does not have a mandate to engage with the media”, according to Michael Lawrence, who represents the National Clothing Retail Federation of SA (NCRF) on the PMO Core.He was responding last week to the report ...more

Umhlanga, KZN, SA – An investigation by SAFLIA has shown that online retailer Temu, which officially launched in South Africa on 17 January, is selling non-compliant safety footwear in SA. SAFLIA signed up to the site and ordered a style labelled as ‘Men's Summer Mesh Steel Toe Shoes Breathable Work Safety Shoes Industri ...more

IntroductionDepending on the type of leather being produced, hides and skins are normally tanned using either a mineral or a vegetable tanning process. Chrome tanning accounts for more than 90% of the world’s leather production, but there is concern over the environmental impact of this tanning method. Vegetable tanning is a more en ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (19 March 2024) – Sappi Southern Africa has achieved GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance (FSA) 2020 certification for Pelletin, one of its lignin-based products used as an additive in animal feed manufacturing. This makes Sappi the second organisation in Africa to attain this certification.GMP+ is the world’s ...more

South African beef exports have shown strong growth over the last year. In January, they achieved their highest level in seven years.South Africa has a vibrant agricultural sector, and the local livestock and meat industry is no exception.A 2021 AgriSETA report stated that South Africa accounted for over 21% of the total meat produced in ...more

SAFLIA and S&V have separately carried out chain store visits in recent weeks at some prominent shopping centres, including most of the apparel chains aimed at middle- to upper middle-class consumers.There were a number of difficulties:It wasn’t always easy to find country of origin marking. Different chains – or perhaps d ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Admiral first traded in South Africa in the 1970s and returned after isolation again in the late 80s, and while there have been changes, the business model has been largely consistent over that period: A brand offering technical clothing, footwear, and sports equipment for all teamwear sporting codes to t ...more

Removing the duty on imported components is a process, and footwear is just starting out on it.Clothing has been granted duty free access to imported woven fabrics, but that doesn’t automatically extend to footwear.“What I didn’t know was that separately from the HS tariff code for the product, there are specific rebate ...more

According to a new report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation  (FAO), Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2023,15 years since the establishment of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, agriculture-related targets have stagnated or regressed. Furthermore, major Pan-European manufactu ...more

Granville Steyn, Leather Business Manager, DyStar Africa (Pty) LtdPietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – I started as a lab assistant way back in 1980 at The Western Tanning Company, in Wellington under Messrs. Gerald Tutt and Alan Sykes, just to mention a couple. In the meantime, Chris Black was already studying at Nene College, and on his re ...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

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

Charlie Manolis is chief scientist at Wildlife Management International in Karama, Northern Territory, Australia, and he is also a co-chair of the CSG. Below, he says crocodilian farming has more-or-less eradicated poaching, but that other human pressures threaten many crocodilian species.rn ...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

The Midlands, KZN, SA – 2023 was a big year for Groundcover.The business was founded by my parents, Amanda and Justin McCarthy, in the KZN midlands in 1990.What started as a passion for leatherwork has since grown into a sensibly sized and sustainable business that employs 30 individuals.What has been key to our success is the commu ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Former Western Cape agent for Brite Reef Swimwear, Spike Apparel and Sterling Clothing, Trevor Espey, has retired after 43 years as an agent.“In the early years, I represented Hang Ten in the Cape and later controlled the brand within SA Franchising,” he wrote. “What a long, lovely story. M ...more

Obituary: Roland ‘Roley’ Rogers – Bata SA, commission agent (11/09/1938-23/01/2024) Roley was born in Kuruman in the Northern Cape and was educated at CBC in Kimberly.He was an outstanding sportsman and represented OFS and Eastern Cape schools at rugby, cricket, and swimming.He joined Bata in Johannesburg and worked ...more

Columnist H. Procter wrote about solar power in the November issue, noting that it could both address sustainability issues and free tanneries from load shedding.“I had a call with Mossop Leather MD Gert Kruger after we published that article,” he wrote. “He told me it was possible to get all electricity needs with some ...more

Kenyan entrepreneur, tanner and industrial chemist Newton Owino, who founded and owns fish skin tannery and footwear/ leather goods manufacturer Alisam Products Development & Design, has been working on a project to recycle synthetic hair extensions and wigs. ...more

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – It is with sadness that we learnt of the passing of Dietmar Theilig, the former Managing Director of Boehme Africa.I met Dietmar 35 years ago when I was headhunted and appointed as a leather technician. At the time, Boehme Africa was a major role player in the textile and leather industries in Southern Af ...more

Born 12th May 1938 in Leipzig-Moeckern. Confirmed on 10.05 1952 at Pfarramt Der Luthergemeinde, Crimmitschau. He had 1 sister, Ursula, who was 7 years younger than himself.His father was in the textile trade and supplied the wool fabric for the army winter coats, and they lived at the army barracks in Leipzig.His father was accused of ind ...more

In an implicit question mark over the future of collective bargaining in the South African footwear manufacturing industry, the Southern African Footwear & Leather Industries Association lost many of its members, most of them SMMEs, at the beginning of 2023.“…they believe our wage rates in the footwear industry have grown ...more

Puma's major breakup with a basketball star is a story of social media stardom, Tesla drive-by drama, courtroom proceedings, and some lessons we can take home. ...more

Contrary to expectations, SA footwear manufacturing in 2022 rose by 20% over 2021 from 51 119 332 pairs to 61 334 614 pairs. The bulk of the increase was made up of cheap constructions such as flip flops, executive director Jirka Vymětal said.Noting the apparently worsening youth unemployment in SA, which he called &l ...more

All SA footwear manufacturers will again pay full contributions to the Footwear Industry Technological Fund – the statutory monthly levy based on a percentage of weekly wages paid – from January 2024. A 3-year payment ‘holiday’ between July 2020, at the beginning of the covid crisis, and June this year, was replace ...more

This is part of a series contributed by the International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) in Grahamstown, E. Cape, SA, summarising complicated research papers into short articles more readily comprehensible to a wider audience.rnrnPart 1. Preparation of delimed hides with different residual concentrations ...more

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – I would like to advise that I am establishing a new consultancy company with effect from January 2024.Legacy Exotic Leather Specialists (Pvt) Ltd will operate from Bulawayo. The initial focus will be on offering technical consultancy to local companies involved in processing exotic leathers, especially elephant ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Horse riding is mostly an elite activity, and it comes with specialised requirements – it’s not an industry you stumble into by chance.Not usually, anyway.In 2014, former Zimbabwean Pardon Gwenzi was running a bar at a golf club in Greenpoint, and with the cold Cape winter approaching, he and his ...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

When Oliver Reichert assumed the role of CEO at Birkenstock in 2013, he brought something the iconic German footwear brand hadn’t seen in generations — an outsider’s perspective. This move was unconventional, and some may have questioned entrusting the legacy of a family-owned company to someone unfamiliar with the shoe ...more

Volontè System Conveyor director Felice Volontè believes South African footwear manufacturers have the potential to increase production “substantially”, and to grow their export business, but that they must upgrade their products, and diversify their production.He was an annual visitor to South Africa before covi ...more

On the shoe machinery side, Italy is holding its own. Companies that have been around for many years are positive for future trading. There are 2 reasons – China is slowing, and their manufacturers are concentrating on high tech industries mainly pertaining to electronic goods.. Also, the Italian government is assisting Italian shoe ...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

Three of SA’s biggest PPE OEMs are involved in what is – so far – a war of words over copying.On 04 September, BBF Safety Group sent a notice to its distributors and some end users claiming Dromex’s Nobuhle and Ulteco Plus styles “replicate too closely our Sisi Reese and Bova Neoflex safety boot styles” ...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

 African Leather: What is interesting about the Barnini spray arm?The Barnini Robot system is the first multi-patented leather loading system in the world, that is capable of automatically loading leather from a stand, platform or chain.The robot system is also capable of finishing panels or whole skins, simulating production systems ...more

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA - Jumbo Footwear group subsidiary Foothills Trading & Investment 2 (Pty) Ltd’s distribution agreement with Kangol ends on 31 December, Dionne Prinsloo of Allied Agencies confirmed on Friday.”We are currently in the process of winding down our involvement,” he wrote. “We have no idea wh ...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

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

I was in Italy last week, sponsored by Assomac Servizi to attend the Simac/Tanning Tech fair, and technical reports will follow in the October issues of S&V African Leather and S&V Footwear & Leather Goods.My indelible memory of this trip isn’t of the fair, however. It is the apparent affirmation of the grumbles I’ ...more

IntroductionIn order to prevent hides from rotting between the time the animal is slaughtered and the time the hide is processed in the tannery, they need to undergo some form of preservation. The most commonly used form of preservation is salting, which dehydrates the hide and thus prevents bacterial growth. It is estimated that at least ...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

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

The XXXVII IULTCS Congress in Chengdu, China, from 17 to 20 October 2023 (https://iultcs.org/events/future/) is fast approaching, and the committee members are aware than many people will be considering if they will be attending this important event. There is no doubt that the event will be very rewarding to anyone who can participate at ...more

First quarter of 2023: Turnover (+13.6%) - Exports in value terms (+16.1%) - Export volumes (-2%) - Production (-1%)Milan, Italy (10 July 2023) – The first quarter of 2023 saw the recovery of the Italian footwear sector continue, with turnover up +13.6% compared to the same period in the previous year. This is th ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – Richemont, the SIX Swiss Exchange- and Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed luxury goods group, has bought a controlling stake in Milan-based men’s and women’s footwear manufacturer Gianvito Rossi, according to a release on Friday:Gianvito Rossi, Founder, CEO and Creative Director of the eponymous ...more

Since 2014, the UK-based Royal Academy of Engineering has awarded an annual ‘Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation’, which this year has been given to 2 recipients, from South Africa and Uganda. The South African entry is aimed at improving women’s health, the Ugandan one at upscaling security. ...more

With most accidents in the material handling industry attributable to collisions between forklifts and pedestrians, more needs to be done to reduce injuries and potential fatalities. ...more

This is part of a series contributed by the International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) in Grahamstown, E. Cape, SA, summarising complicated research papers into short articles more readily comprehensible to a wider audience. ...more

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – After 3 months under new ownership, Eddels has settled into a routine which will hopefully lead it into sustainable profitability, new GM Steven Jacobs said last week.      “This is a business in distress, and we’re not trying to hide it,” he said, “bu ...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

With little fanfare, SAFLIA, the DTIC and the unions have managed to persuade the SA Government to keep most footwear and leather goods tariff lines out of the soon-to-be-implemented African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will see most products traded duty free between African countries.So far.AfCFTA’s aim is to create ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Muhammad Bulbulia, formerly with retailer Joey & Sam, which is now closed, said the family business began selling tea beverages during the covid19 period, but has come back into footwear with an all-leather product range imported from Brazil.“Clave is the new winter collection we are currently s ...more

Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – “The question is: If a consumer has R50 000 to spend right now, will he spend it on a leather suite or on an inverter? It’s something of a no-brainer,” said Leather Link’s Hugo Zuanni, in response to a query on the state of the leather furniture market.Leather Link is an agent, i ...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

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Micam Milano, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Trade Agency, will present MICAM Milano 96 and footwear trends forecasting for Spring Summer 2024 at the Maslow Sandton Hotel, Grayston Drive, on 08 June 2023 at 10:30.The programme is:10:30 Registration & welco ...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

Hastings, East Sussex, UK – Retired former editor of Leather International, Shelagh Davy, died on 17 April, aged 79.In an obituary in International Leather Maker, Martin Ricker, her successor at LI, now content director at ILM, wrote: “I succeeded Shelagh Davy as Editor of Leather International in 2009 after working for her on ...more

I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of a recent change at IULTCS. The International Union of Liaison and Communication Commission (IUL) Chairman, Dr Christine Anscombe, after many years of dedicated service to the Society, has decided to take a step back from the role. The IULTCS committee has appointed me, Julian Osgood, ...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

The annual Arsutoria footwear and handbag international trends workshops in South Africa are sponsored by SAFLIA, SAFLEC and the Ethekwini Footwear & Leather Export Programme, and this year’s workshops were held in Durban from 17 to 21 April and in Cape Town on 24 April. S&V asked the Durban attendees to say what effect it h ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Hitherto little known top end manufacturer Caralli Footwear (Pty) Ltd is the company negotiating with the Industrial Development Corporation to buy Eddels Footwear.      Caralli is wholly owned by B&B Media, which is also the major shareholder in Buka Investments, a holding com ...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

Pretoria, Gauteng SA (02 November 2022) – According to a release, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) have gone ahead with their scheme to donate tons of seized clothing, blankets, and footwear to flood victims in KwaZulu Natal.     & ...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

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Both sides are claiming victory in the latest court judgement in the long running battle for sole rights to the Polo brand in SA.        The US Polo Association, based in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, licenses its logo globally, and Stable Brands is its SA distributor.  ...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

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (04 September 2022) - The Competition Tribunal will today hear submissions relating to the proposed large merger wherein Shoprite Supermarkets (Pty) Ltd intends to acquire the following from Massmart Holdings Limited:* 56 retail supermarket stores and 43 retail liquor stores operated under the brand names Rhino Cash ...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 - "We're waiting for something to take off," said Garth Ribbink of synthetic upper materials supplier A. Greenaways (Natal). It's all dull. Summer is starting now but the build up has been slow."Durban, KZN, SA - Sales are still quiet, said Rowan Allison, who sells for Midland Leather. "A couple of the ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Distribution of Sebago in southern Africa shifted to the Crick Group from Medicus at the beginning of 2022, in line with the change of ownership of the brand in 2017 from U.S.-based Wolverine World Wide to Italian company BasicNet S.p.A. ...more

Munich, Germany (08 February 2022) - After ISPO Munich was moved to November 28 to 30 and OutDoor by ISPO to June 12 to 14, Messe München is now also reorganizing the ISPO Group team: Tobias Gröber, alongside his role as Director Business Unit Consumer Goods, will also be responsible again for the entire trade fair and online portfolio for the ISPO Group. ...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

Shoemakers who know Jean Teplitsky genuflect when they mention his name. He, however, is quite humble. What is the inspiration for your brand/styling/concept? My inspiration is contemporary style integrated with classic techniques elevating the product to the highest level, while always trying to balance comfort, aesthetic and q ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - The Dakotas footwear brand - which was bought from the liquidators of Footwear Direct in July - "is back up and running", and is the subject of a raft of plans, says Clive Pozniak, MD of Supreme Hat & Cap (Pty) Ltd, the new owners of Dakotas Supreme, a headwear manufacturer, and its sister company ...more

Grahamstown, E. Cape, SA - This article is a summary of practical experience that was gained by a tanner working in a shoe upper tannery over a period of close to 40 years. ...more

Milan, Italy – On Wednesday last week, footwear fair Micam, leather goods fair Mipel, and haut-à-porter show The One Milano, announced they had changed dates from 20-22 February to 13-15 March 2022. They said the new dates would partially overlap with the fashion jewellery and accessories fair Homi Fashion & Jewels, on 11-14 March. All fairs will be at the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition centre. ...more

In the January edition of S&V Footwear & Leather Goods last week, the lead article was that if the SA footwear manufacturing industry is to grow, it must start making sneakers. Here are submissions from 2 people who say it can. ...more

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

Paris, France - This month, Desolina Suter has joined the Première Vision team as fashion director.  Of dual French/Italian origin, she is an expert in materials, colours and trends, and has been Première Vision’s fashion correspondent in Italy for nearly 15 years. She will be in charge of coordinating the Premi&e ...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

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin. In the working at heights industry, the focus in always to ensure the competency of the workers exposed to that high-risk environment, ensuring they know how to use the correct equipment to prevent them from falling. BUT incidents happen, and thus we must always prepare for the worst-case scenario... ...more

The millions of masks, gloves and other PPE generated by the pandemic have created a global waste problem, with many of them ending up in our oceans. In April, BBC News and Sky News reported developments to recycle at least some of them. ...more

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

By Professor John Smallwood, Professor of Construction Management, NMU, and Professor Fidelis Emuze, Research Associate, Central University of Technology, Free State ...more

More than any other footwear category in South Africa, safety footwear has so far survived the pandemic relatively unscathed - no life support from government, and apparently no casualties. It helped that its status as part of PPE, and therefore an essential service, allowed it to operate, albeit on a reduced scale, during the strictest p ...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

BBC, April 09, 2021 - Nike says the art collective which made "Satan Shoes" that purportedly contain a drop of human blood in the soles has agreed to issue a voluntary recall as part of a legal settlement. The $1,018 (£740) trainers are modified Nike Air Max 97s. Only 666 pairs were made and all but one have been shipped. ...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

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

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

Boksburg, Gauteng, SA - I immigrated to South Africa in 1974 to take up employment with Plessey SA, upgrading and automating telephone exchanges. In 1981 I was deployed to the Natal north coast to install at Paradise Valley (Pinetown),  Salt Rock, Ballito, Verulam  and Stamford Hill (Durban). This is when we met Lionel Astill, M ...more

Kettering, UK (February 21,2021) - At the recent virtual meeting of the IULTCS leather test method commissions, 2 of the 3 convenors were replaced -The IUP (Physical) and IUF (Fastness) Commissions have new convenors: Jacqueline Glasspool was appointed as the new convenor of the IUP Commission (and also of the Working Group 2 (WG2) o ...more

Kettering, UK (February 22, 2021) - The executive committee of the IULTCS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 IUR research grants to be awarded to 2 young scientists, under the age of 35. The monetary awards help support the work of young talent in the leather sector. This is the seventh year of the grants which have been gener ...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

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

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - Really tough year ahead, corporates and individuals will be watching the pennies very carefully, hoping that they will look after the pounds. There will be small rays of sunshine, but I believe these will be short-lived. At the moment survival and cost cutting are the orders for the day and we have to hang in t ...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

S&V has been a window onto the soul of the leather, footwear and leather goods industries for decades, and like them, has reinvented itself many times This is an anniversary year for S&V. An 85th anniversary. I very much doubt many other industries in South Africa have a trade publication which has published continuously for ...more

Durban, KZN, SA - Footwear production during the first 2 quarters of 2020 fell by 34.84% by comparison with the same period in 2019, according to the SAFLIA Digest for January to June, released last month.Pairage dropped from 24.4 million pairs to 15.9 million.The value of ex-factory sales dropped by 31.2%, from R2.7 billion to close to R ...more

With international travel “out of the question” for the present, footwear manufacturers and retailers are going to have to do substantially more of their pre-production developments online. Companies worldwide are scrambling to adapt to the challenging situation.       FLIC has started to loo ...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

The previous 25 articles in this series have discussed the different clean technology options that are available to the tanner in the beamhouse and tanyard. This article will focus on the clean technology that is available in the dyehouse that can help the tanner reduce the environmental impact of the dyehouse processes. Many of the clean ...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

We asked a number of manufacturers: Is it now feasible for you to restart general production, or have you already restarted? What is your order position like, and have there been cancellations? Are any of your staff refusing to come back to work for any reason, and if so, what reasons? 4 have so far responded: The Little Slipper Co: ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (May 13, 2020) – The Competition Tribunal has unconditionally approved the merger whereby Adcock Ingram Healthcare (Pty) Ltd (Adcock Ingram) will acquire Plush Professional Leather Care (Pty) Ltd (Plush).       Adcock Ingram is a subsidiary of Adcock Ingram Holdings Limited. The acquiring gr ...more

Edcon, once the biggest fashion retailer in SA, went into business rescue at the end of April. CEO Grant Pattison, in charge for the past 2 years, blamed the lockdown as the final straw in the long slide which began in 2007 when it was acquired by US private equity firm Bain Capital for a - with hindsight - unsustainable R25 billion and d ...more

Cape Town, W Cape, SA - The rules imposed on most footwear manufacturers wishing to restart manufacturing under the government's 'Level 4' lockdown "will discourage most from re-opening", SAFLIA executive director Jirka Vymetal said last week. "There are a lot of rules and requests that make it difficult," he said. &qu ...more

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA - FLIC would like to assist the footwear industry and retail by collating the total available capacity of footwear manufacturers by the various fashion categories. This information will then be distributed amongst the large retailers to give them a good idea of what is available to them from the local industry. A ...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

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

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

Once Government and the Health department announce the lifting or partial lifting of the lockdown and declare it safe to re-open the factories, our industry will then be allowed back to work. However, it is envisaged that to do this there will be a need to put certain new procedures and regulations in place, to ensure the safety of everyb ...more

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – SAFLEC and FLIC are proud to announce that they have mutually agreed to join forces on certain projects for the balance of the lockdown period. The two organizations original mandates have been partially disrupted by the lockdown imposed. Once the lockdown is lifted the two organizations will go bac ...more

Lusaka, Zambia – Former England Rugby Union International and World Cup winner Jason Leonard has been knocked sideways by the quality of locally produced Kaleza football boots. The popular Z-12 boots made by Zambeef division Zamleather are already scoring hits with players across the country. Now they have caught the attention of th ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA - A new water monitoring station that measures levels, flows, flumes and stage discharge via cloud networks has been launched to assist in the mitigation of the effects of floodwaters, stormwater, and protect against compromised irrigation systems.  Distributed by local technology integrator, Euca Technologi ...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

Cape Town, W Cape, SA – The Footwear & Leather Industry Cluster (FLIC) and co-sponsors SAFLEC, eThekwini Export Programme, Wesgro and the SA Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) will hold a 5-day collection workshop and trend seminar for the handbag sector in Cape Town from October 21-25.       It ...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

S&V asked the Industrial Development Corporation to comment on the closure of Cape Town factories in the leather industry. Spokesperson Zama Luthuli responded:The recent liquidation of Jensen Belts is the fourth leather industry factory in Cape Town to go into liquidation or close in the last 4 or 5 years (the others were Uber Gruvi, ...more

Durban, KZN, SA – The SAFLIA AGM and dinner will be held at Zimbali, north of Durban, on August 6. This is the same venue as last year.       "Traditionally, SAFLIA has rotated its AGMs between KZN and the Western Cape," executive director Jirka Vymetal said. "However, since there a ...more

Cape Town, SA - Country of origin marking and reference pricing again dominated the second meeting of the SARS Footwear and Leather Task Team on November 7, which included representatives from SA Revenue Services, SAFLIA, NULAW and SACTWU, and the Foschini Group. The DTI was not represented. There was some progress on reference pricing, a ...more

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

ACLE coincides with World Leather CongressShanghai, China - The 20th edition of the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) (August 30-September 1) will be preceded on August 29 by the 3rd World Leather Congress (WLC), also in Shanghai, themed 'The Leather Revolution'.  These 2 major events are the most important to be organised in China ...more

In this series on sustainable leather production, the previous ten articles have discussed the steps that tanners could take to reduce the salt concentration in tannery effluents. Another major source of pollution in a tannery is the liming / unhairing process, and the following few articles in this series on sustainable processing will h ...more

The creative will inherit the earth – eventually ...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

Peter Lin, proprietor, C.Y. LinCape Town, SA – We only began testing the market late last year, and the first containers only arrived in April. The feedback from customers so far is that they are selling well.Because we’re a new label, a lot of independents are on a testing stage. Customers are happy with the price points and ...more

Collin Pillay, member, Topline ManufacturersDurban, SA – Our turnover for the first 4 months is definitely down – by as much as 20%, and we just hope and pray that it will pick up.Some of our customers have work, but the independents are very quiet and it seems many of the chains aren’t placing orders at the moment eithe ...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

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) – It is rather regrettable that SAFLIA adopted a stance to withdraw from this important forum. NULAW fully supports the efforts by SARS Customs Fraud unit to combat illegal imports and under invoicing despite its current challenges.        NULAW have attempted over the past three years to convince ...more

Presentation by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, at the Red Meat Industry Workshop on March 16 ...more

The Southern African Footwear & Leather Industries Association (SAFLIA) had already lost confidence in the SARS. Late last year executive director Jirka Vymetal told the CTFL Industry Forum – a body chaired by SARS and intended to discuss illegal/undervalued imports and similar issues – that he would no longer attend its m ...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) – AVI Limited’s unaudited interim results for the 6 months ended December 31, 2016 were released this morning. AVI, which is a fast moving consumer goods group, includes A&D Spitz and Green Cross, along with food and beverages and personal care products. Extracts follow:        Gr ...more

Melbourne (Australia) -  Trade magazine Footwear News Australia has closed after 37 years.        In a mail to readers, publisher/editor Vicki Hatton, who took over the magazine founded by her father, Bob Grant, blamed declining advertising and subscription revenues and increased printing and distribution costs.&n ...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

Johannesburg (SA) – SAFLIA has so far successfully lobbied against a proposal by the East African Community (EAC) that footwear trade between it and South Africa through the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) be zero-rated. Following ongoing negotiations at NEDLAC, the standard 30% duty, which applies to all footwear imports, rem ...more

Western boots in the US - 1 of 3 key markets for SA ostrich leather - are likely to be affected by any changes to US-Mexican trade relations, including the threat to impose new import duties. A high percentage of Western boot manufacturing has moved from the US to Mexico, and further afield.         "We're co ...more