S & V Publications

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – “Overall, we’re having a good run with uniforms and shoes,” Asmall’s director Yuunus Asmall said on Friday. “All the brands are selling well,” he said. He said there were no problems with stock.  ...more

Benoni, Gauteng, SA – “We’ve just put our spikes and rugby boots on display, and customers have seen them, felt them, touched them, so we’re starting to kick off there and we’ve had some sales,” Graham Butler, manager of Ekspa’s Benoni store, said on Saturday. “School shoe sales have been am ...more

Queenstown, E. Cape, SA – Mid-December to end March are the busiest selling periods for sports footwear and equipment, Jerome Kent, trustee of Louis’ Sports, said on Friday.“Cricket is quite big at the moment, soccer is starting to pick up, and running is picking up nicely,” he said.Schools are the biggest part of ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – In response to “one of the most persistent and damaging waves of foot and mouth disease (FMD) the country has seen in decades”, the Department of Agriculture plans to vaccinate the entire national cattle herd, according to a press release on 26 November.FMD affects the leather value chain because ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – FINALLY, someone (SAFLEC in this case) has seen the light. From DAY 1, I have been at pains to explain to people that a "blanket" system to the tariff structure makes zero sense. The HS system has to be used. e.g. I can import alligator skins (raw / crust or dyed finished) at 0% duty from the US ...more

Mossel Bay, W. Cape, SA – Around 20% of our ostrich leather sales are destined for the USA. Our clients use the leather to manufacture exotic leather cowboy boots. Because our clients in the USA cannot buy the ostrich leather from local (USA) tanneries, we feel that this raw material should be exempted from tariffs.  ...more

Pinetown, KZN, SA – BBF Safety Group (Pty) Ltd has appointed Ndlela Mazibuko as MD, effective 01 November 2025. He will work alongside the BBF Safety Group CEO, Brian Kuhnert, together with the Beier Group CEO, Warren Sachs, “in growing the customer centric focus of the business”, according to a release.  ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Fashion group Dangee Carken is launching a PPE division.An initial range of imported safety footwear and locally made workwear, branded GrittGear, will launch in October.Director Robby Stoller said the group had been working on the project for over 6 months. He said an industry specialist would be joining ...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

South African clothing manufacturers whose strategy is to supply chain retailers are, by and large, reaching sustainable agreements with their customers. South African footwear manufacturers who have the same business model are yet to make similar inroads.That’s the assessment of National Clothing Retail Federation (NCRF) executive ...more

The EFLC panel discussions and networking dinner on 19 February included chain retail, manufacturing, and union representatives, municipal, provincial and national government officials, a successful exporter, a representative from Amazon South Africa speaking about potential for local suppliers, and the MD of Messe Frankfurt SA speaking a ...more

Dévan Swanepoel of Cape Town manufacturer Weef makes products that no-one actually needs, but which a sizeable percentage of his target market wants – especially after they’ve been exposed to the enthusiasm, energy and visual appeal of Weef’s ‘handmade leather statements’: leather ties, leather bowties ...more

Kisumu, Kenya – Fish skin tannery Alisam Products Developments & Design, which uses skins from the invasive Nile Perch, is offering leather which owner Newton Owino describes as “non-conventionally tanned, chrome-free, naturally dyed, minimum 1 sq. ft. each, suitable for leather goods, footwear and textile blend”.&nb ...more

Like the modern tanning industry, taxidermists have also been innovating and developing. Taxidermy is an industry that continues to serve a valuable function to any economy and represents a service to the hunting or naturalist industry. Museums, private collectors, or schools still make extensive use of specimens that have ended their lif ...more

Reflections on ostrich and crocodile leather from a tannery perspective. By Thabang Kenalemang and Cobus Brink from the Cape Karoo International Pty Ltd tanneries. Brink, who was quality manager for Cape Karoo International’s Leather Division, based in Mosselbaai, retired at the end of January. Kenalemang was appointed as the new quality manager. He is based in Oudtshoorn. ...more

The Safety First Association (SFA) and the Southern African Protective Equipment Marketing Association (SAPEMA), both non-profit organisations, are jointly putting together a PPE conference to be held at Emperors Conference Centre, Kempton Park, on 10 and 11 March.This will be “a ground-breaking event, creating a programme packed wi ...more

Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – in December, the Gauteng Division of the High Court delivered a clear judgment confirming that Fidelity SecureFire’s private firefighting services are lawful and may be rendered nationally across South Africa.The application brought by the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality Emergency Services Dep ...more

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, South African protective clothing manufacturer Charnaud hosted Race to the Top, a firefighter stair climb challenge, on 06 December, at The Leonardo, South Africa’s tallest building.50 first responders, including firefighters and emergency medi ...more