In the News | 26 January 2023

Welcome back -- catch up on global headlines, SA retail, Eskom vs Fashion & new opportunities for funding + jobs

Hello in 2023!

While I am not back at 100%, I am well on my way and have the support I need. I look forward to being able to pour more of myself into this and other endeavours as I recover. [I'll also take this opportunity to encourage everyone to take better care of themselves in 2023 – a large part of my health issues last year came down to exhaustion.]

Coming soon:

A primer on the pros and cons of choosing a marketplace as your next distribution channel (as Amazon makes plans for Prime, marketplace & fulfilment service launches in South Africa, still rumoured to be set for next month)
What South African designers can learn from Nigerian designers as loadshedding's effects worsen (Nigeria's power utility NEPA is a likely picture of where ESKOM is headed without intervention)
A long overdue feature on how collecting and leveraging first-party data helped Pichulik jewellery respond to the pandemic.

Are there stories you want told in 2023? Let me know — subscribers can now reply directly to the newsletter or start a conversation in the comment section on site.

Africa

Dakar puts itself on the global creative industry's radar, the New York Times' T Magazine explores Johannesburg's creative industry appeal, Africa Fashion Guide breaks down business lessons from the rise and fall of the Grass Fields brand, and a new probe reveals the depth of the network of corruption at South Africa's state owned power utility ESKOM, corruption that has fuelled capacity generation problems that now plague national productivity and threaten small business survival.

FOR AFRICA, AN EMPHASIS ON ETHICAL FASHION IS THE FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Industrie Africa

Dakar establishing itself as a global destination for the creative industries

Dakar’s fashion, art, and heritage scenes have attracted attention from both domestic and international brands.

How we made it in Africabird story agency

Eskom shocks for the South African apparel industry

Fibre2FashionRenato Palmi

SIU probe shines bright light on crippling Eskom rot

The SIU conducted a deep dive into the ailing power utility, looking into the procurement and transportation of coal and diesel, procurement of cloud computing services and software.

MSNNicola Daniels

Load shedding fails small businesses as fashion designers cannot go into production - IOL

Business Lessons from the Rise and Fall of Grass-Fields - African Fashion

If you are a business owner, in particular an African fashion entrepreneur then this will speak volumes to you. I am sharing this story about the fashion brand Grass-fields.

African FashionAfrica Fashion Guide

In retail: a brick & mortar revival takes shape across South Africa, Woolworths shows signs of recovery, Mr Price Group's Studio 88 acquisition pays off early, new Jumia Uganda chief shares developed economy lessons on scaling e-commerce, TFG partners with TymeBank on new financial products after reporting record sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday (north of R1B in turnover) and all signs point to Amazon South Africa launch between February and April 2023.

South Africa’s retail revival is cashing in

Newer retailers are setting the benchmark for South Africa’s retail landscape, with plenty of room for innovation in bricks and mortar

The Mail & GuardianKimberley Schoeman

Amazon still on track to launch in South Africa, insiders say

Amazon is still on track to launch in South Africa, insiders say.

BusinessTechDaily Investor

Woolworths expects huge boost in earnings

Upper-end retailer Woolworths reveals new insights in its latest trading update for shareholders.

BusinessTechStaff Writer

Could Woolworths’s fashion turnaround strategy finally be taking shape?

Perhaps a little more consistency would convince the market.

MoneywebAkhona Matshoba

Mr Price Q3 sales jump on Studio 88 acquisition

Value fashion retailer Mr Price reported a 34% surge in third-quarter sales, boosted mostly by its recent acquisition of branded footwear and clothing company Studio 88 Group...

BizCommunityNqobile Dludla

E- commerce growth is promising – Jumia boss

70 percent of our population is still exploring how e- commerce works, they want to have the trust that they will get genuine products.

MonitorPaul Murungi

Big changes for TymeBank and one of South Africa’s biggest retailers

TymeBank enters another partnership, this time with the largest clothing retailer in South Africa.

BusinessTechStaff Writer

Load-shedding drives TFG clients to digital platforms

The retailer’s online turnover grew 43%, as customers shunned shopping centres and turned to e-commerce platforms.

ITWebStaff Writer

Global

The new trade season for designers looking to sell to Europe will kick off in February with new players and new platform options, new data reveals the impact of location (versus fibre type) on fashion's carbon emissions, Glossy investigates Tik Tok's role as a breeding ground for fashion trends and tighter budgets encourage brands to explore automation and other cost-cutting solutions.

The Folklore Connect Plans Its Own Digital Trade Show and In-Person Showcase With RAISEfashion

The digital trade show is Feb. 1-3, while the in-person showcase at Shopify New York’s space takes place Feb. 9-12 during New York Fashion Week.