Sharp growth in South African imports

Imports of footwear into South Africa grew by almost 35 per cent during 2024, while the nation’s production fell by 15 per cent, according to the Southern African Footwear and Leather Industries Association (SAFLIA).

The organisation has stated that while South African retailers often point to such factors as changing trends and the need for fast sampling as reasons for using imports – primarily from Asia – the main driver is still price. 

Although South African shoemakers have reported a decline in domestic production, the value of the nation’s footwear exports last year increased by 80 per cent, according to the UN Comtrade database. These products were mainly sent to Botswana, Namibia and other regional neighbours.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 4 of the January 2025 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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