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 

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 

Denver, Colorado, USA (08 January 2025) – VF Corporation, owner of The North Face, Vans, Timberland, Dickies and other brands, plans to release its third quarter fiscal 2025 financial results on Wednesday 29 January 2025 at approximately 6:55 a.m. ET. Following the release, VF management will host a conference call at approximately ...more 

Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Ostrich has been stable this year, Nile crocodile has been more challenging. There is still a demand in Europe for the top ostrich grades and top crocodile grades.However, the demand for crocodile in Europe has slowed down. This comes after a couple of years of high demand for Himalayan niloticus cro ...more 

Durban, KZN, SA - The cost of sea freight from China to SA has risen, and has been compounded by a shortage of space, according to component suppliers in China.In an email today to upper material wholesaler A. Greenaways (Natal), a supplier in China wrote: “The goods are ready, but can’t catch a ship this week. We can ship it ...more 

Durban, KZN, SA – The industry is very quiet at the moment. Customers tell me that the chains are holding back until after the elections, and that come June and July, there will be good orders. I certainly hope so.Something which disturbs me, and I’m not a shopper, is that the shoe areas in most apparel chains seem to be much ...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 

New Germany, KZN, SA – In general, our business is up substantially, though I’m not sure where it’s coming from, because many of our customers have downsized their workforces, or even closed.I’ve tried to analyse it, and I think we’ve picked up new business since North closed. But I think the main reason is t ...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 

Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – In the first place, my deepest condolences to Nellandran and Pritha and Uncle Shan’s five grandchildren. His passing on, as I’m sure you know, is not just a loss to your immediate and extended family and his close friends and colleagues, including in the media sector – but to all of us i ...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 

Oudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA – Newald Groenewald rejoined Ostrich Products SA (OPSA) in September as tannery manager.He started at the then Klein Karoo International in 1991 before joining OPSA as tannery manager in 2015. He joined Le Croc as tannery manager in 2021, and left there earlier this year.  ...more 

The picture I get of the leather industry globally is that it is losing share in all its markets for a variety of reasons. In South Africa, the situation is compounded by cash-strapped consumers choosing cheaper alternatives. Cape Produce Company is at the beginning of the leather process, and it supplies all leather markets in SA and internationally. I asked CEO Benjy Lapiner if the picture is as bleak as I’m told. No, he said, but… ...more 

Land use and land use change (LULUC) refers to the study area in general – that is the study of how global land use change (commonly through human intervention) results in increased atmospheric emissions. The obvious emission is that if the forest is burnt, the emissions are directly released into the atmosphere. However, the change ...more 

Pinetown, KZN, SA – At Neptun Safety Footwear, our commitment to local manufacturing goes beyond producing quality footwear—it’s about building a sustainable, self-reliant economy in South Africa. We are passionate about growing local industries, not just for the jobs they create today but for the future they secure for ...more 

Pinetown, KZN, SA – In any environment where the build-up of static electricity has been determined to be a risk, anti-static footwear must be worn. Anti-static footwear is designed to help dissipate the accumulation of static electricity from the body while still providing a reasonable level of resistance to electrical hazards from ...more 

Pittsburgh, PA, USA – PPG’s Steelguard 951 epoxy intumescent fire protection coating is designed for advanced – read high value – manufacturing facilities, including semiconductor plants, electric vehicle battery facilities, data centres and other commercial infrastructure.It provides up to 4 hours of fire protecti ...more