Zimbabwe shoe company eyes Sadc market

Published: 19 July 2017

Bulawayo shoe manufacturing company, Millennium Footwear, is exploring export opportunities in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) region following the collapse of the local consumer base.

In emailed responses to NewsDay yesterday, Millennium Footwear founder and director, Stuart Simali, said the company was pursuing exports with vigour, so as to improve its capacity utilisation, which is at 35% due to a depressed economy.

"We export to Zambia and are hoping to penetrate the whole of Sadc," he said.

"We are attending trade shows with the hope of getting exports.

"Last month, we attended the Zambia International Trade Fair and in August we are attending the Zambia Agricultural and Commercial Show, under the Zimtrade banner."

Simali said Zimtrade has also facilitated the visit by PUM experts to assist the company to improve the quality and marketing of its products.

PUM is a non-profit organisation established in 1978 by the Dutch employers' federation, VNO-NCW, with financial support from the Netherlands Foreign Affairs ministry.

"In May, we had a technical expert, who helped us with technical expertise on how to manufacture a product that meets international standards," Simali said.

"In June, we had a marketing expert to help us market our products all over the world."

He said major challenges faced by the leather industry include high electricity costs, the liquidity crisis affecting customers' buying power, a shrinking local market and cheap Chinese imports.

Simali said tanneries were having difficulties in importing chemicals for processing leather, as payments to their suppliers take too long to be processed.

"There is a shortage of good quality raw hides, as some people are exporting good quality raw hides," he said.

"As a result, people end up importing the same hides as finished leather at a higher price."

Some of the challenges included old machinery, as well as sourcing of spare parts due to the cash crisis.

In the next five years, Simali said the company should be a net exporter, have 100% capacity utilisation, increased employment and would have acquired better machinery.

The company currently employs 15 people.

The company manufactures exotic shoes made from elephant, ostrich, buffalo, wildebeest and crocodile skin including safari, classic, safety and security shoes, as well as sandals.

It also produces belts made from cow and crocodile hides.
- newsday

Tags: Shoes,