Bata to increase Pata Pata, Sandak production

Bata to increase Pata Pata, Sandak production
Published: 26 July 2017
THE country's biggest shoe manufacturer, Bata Shoe Company, plans to increase production of its Pata Pata and Sandak brands in response to increasing market demand.

Bata last year sold about 1,2 million pairs of Pata Pata sandals and over 300 000 pairs of Sandak shoes.

The two brands were reintroduced last year at a time the company was facing intense pressure from cheap footwear imports mainly from the Far East.

Bata suspended production of the two brands in 2008 at the height of the country's economic challenges and had been importing the products since 2014.

Bata managing director, Mr Ehsan Zaman, said the company was expecting to surpass last year's Pata Pata production to 1,5 million pairs, which will largely be spurred by exports of the sandals into the region.

"Pata Pata has largely been accepted by the market and this year we are going to increase production from about 1,2 million pairs we sold last year to 1,5 million. It has been well accepted by the market because of the quality and as such there has been demand for the product from neighbouring countries and Malawi," he said.

"Our plastic production has also increased almost three-fold as compared to last year. There is also good increase in plastic as well and we are also planning to introduce some new designs in our Sandak line."

Mr Zaman said the Sandak brands have been facing stiff competition from cheap imports but the company will not tamper with the quality to compete.

Last year the company injected $500 000 in fresh capital, which went towards the commissioning of Sandak and Pata Pata making equipment. Bata is currently operating at over 90 percent capacity utilisation and employs over 1 000 workers.

- newsday
Tags: Bata,

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