Newsletter No. 27 / 24 July 2020                             

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K-Ways’s Re: Down winterwear makes use of recycled filling

South African outdoor clothing brand K-Way has worked with international company Re:Down to create a small range of winter apparel that uses recycled down filling and energy-efficient production methods.

K-Way reports to be the first African brand to have struck up a partnership with Re:Down, which has developed a method by which used down can be collected, cleaned and re-integrated into textile production processes.

The Re:Down range, available exclusively from Cape Union Mart, consists of two jackets and two body warmers for both men and women. They’re made with a seamless nylon fabrication which helps prevent down migration and reduces cold spots. According to the brand, the manufacturing process for the range is designed to be energy-efficient.

K-Way spokesperson Brendon Le Riche says the vision behind the new Re:Down initiative was to create a range of products that has a lower impact on the environment. This, he says, was achieved through the use of Re:Down fill which, together with the production process, reduces energy, post-consumer waste and creates a circular economy in the outdoor apparel industry.
Sustainably-produced filling

Re:Down’s work revolves around recycling down and feathers extracted from post-consumer goods to be re-used as filling material for new products – including apparel, sleeping bags and bedding. The focus is on zero waste and Re:Down upcycles 97% of all raw materials received or collected, so that less waste goes to landfills. The methods used to recycle down and feathers use 74% less water compared to virgin down, no chemicals are involved in the process and 3% of the energy used is from solar power.

In addition to down and feathers, other materials collected and processed by Re:Down include fabric shells, which are chopped into small pieces and end up in non-woven insulation, and broken feathers and down fibres, which are upcycled into organic fertiliser.

Reduced impact on the environment

“In today’s climate, social and environmental responsibility is taken very seriously and Re:Down aims to adhere to that call. Through the production and design of the range, it demonstrates compassion and understanding that our customers care about the planet. More so than ever, they want to make a difference, reduce their carbon footprint and conserve our natural resources.

“This range provides the consumer with the peace of mind that these garments have a low impact on the environment, allowing them to feel good about buying and wearing the apparel,” says Brendon Le Riche.

He concludes, “We constantly strive to do things better, more ethically and more sustainably. The product range demonstrates forward-thinking that puts the good health of the environment and our local community first, in order to conserve precious resources. By using sustainable upcycled components in the garments, we ensure the longevity of our industry and take the necessary steps to preserve our natural resources for the future well-being of the planet.” Bizcommunity

India, Namibia lead SACU preferential trade pact talks

The Southern African Customs Union (SACU)—South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini—and India recently initiated virtual discussions on a preferential trade agreement (PTA) between the two sides.

The latter was led by Srikar Reddy, joint secretary, department of commerce while the latter was led by Steve Katjiuanjo, Namibia’s executive director in the ministry of industrialisation, trade and small and medium enterprises (SME) development.

Reddy said in 2019-20, trade between India and Africa as a whole stood at $ 66.7 billion, of which India-SACU trade was worth $10.9 billion with an immense potential to expand further.

Calling India as a strategic partner of SACU, Katjiuanjo said trade is currently in SACU’s favour, thus showing that the region is benefiting from access to the vast Indian market, the Indian high commission in Windhoek said in a press release.

India stood fully committed and ready to support manufacturing and industry in Namibia in areas such as agriculture, irrigation, renewables, information and communication technology, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. Both sides reviewed the progress made and discussed steps to quickly move forward on the PTA.

India-Namibia bilateral trade during 2018-19 was $ 135.92 million with India’s exports valued at $ 82.37 million, while railways and SMEs are of interest to Namibia. F2F

UK, Kenya agree to start post-Brexit trade negotiations

The United Kingdom and Kenya have agreed to start talks on a post-Brexit trade agreement in a recent phone call between President Uhuru Kenyatta and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The negotiations, likely to be finalised before the former’s exit from the European Union (EU) by the year end, will be conducted within the Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership Framework established by the two leaders in January 2020 and the East African Community (EAC) parameters to enhance regional integration.

In the conversation, Uhuru and Johnson also discussed several bilateral interests, including the response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Uhuru thanked the UK government for supporting Kenya’s Worker Protection Scheme, which he said, will benefit garment and horticultural sectors to avoid massive staff layoffs during the ongoing economic disruption, according to Kenyan media reports.

The two leaders affirmed their strong support for the Commonwealth and committed to working together to ensure stability, continuity, and the deepening of solidarity among Commonwealth nations. F2F

Recruitment….

Leading textiles wholesaler in Cape Town has an opening for a general manager.

 Successful applicant must have industry and textile knowledge.

Ability to deal at the highest level with retail and manufacturing buyers.

Manage a dynamic sales and sourcing team.

Merchandising and sourcing skills essential.

CV’s to paul@sktextiles.co.za

TFG – publication of rights offer circular

Further to the rights offer declaration announcement released on SENS on 14 July 2020 and the rights offer finalisation announcement released on SENS on 16 July 2020, TFG confirms that the rights offer circular has been published on TFG’s website (tfglimited.co.za/shareholder-information-and-circulars/), and will be posted to qualifying certificated shareholders on 20 July 2020. Where applicable, the rights offer circular will be posted to qualifying dematerialised shareholders on 27 July 2020.

The salient dates and times of the rights offer remain unchanged from those published in the declaration announcement on SENS on 14 July 2020.

Rex True – change of company secretary

Shareholders are referred to the SENS announcement released by the company on 12 May 2020 in terms of which shareholders were advised of, amongst other matters, the resignation of Mr Adam Snitcher as the company secretary of Rex Trueform and that he would be serving out a three-month notice period in order to ensure an orderly handover process. Shareholders were further advised that the process of identifying Adam’s successor had commenced, and that they would be advised of the appointment in due course.

We are pleased to announce that Ms Ardilah Mohamed-Mushabe (LLB, LLM), a qualified attorney with listed company secretarial and in-house legal experience, has been identified as Adam’s successor and further that she will be appointed as company secretary with effect from the date on which Adam’s resignation becomes effective, being 8 August 2020. We welcome Ardilah to the company and look forward to her contribution

Did you know……..

As Above, So Below

Women’s bottom halves were just as uncomfortable as their corseted tops. Hoop-shaped cages made of horsehair and steel puffed up skirts instead of layers of petticoats, but the crinolines were prone to mishap. They were easily lifted by gusts of wind, entangled in carriage wheel spokes, and were often too wide to fit through doorways. The scariest danger, however, was their flammability—the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s wife succumbed to injuries and died after her crinoline caught fire in 1861.