Legendary SA footwear brand fights for local products

South African footwear maker Veldskoen is working to strengthen the local economy by urging South Africans to purchase products made in the country.

The local footwear producer is on a crusade to promote local companies and their products.

E-COMMERCE GIANTS

In recent times online retailers such as Temu and Shein have gained significant market share.

And like a bull in a China shop, they are indeed wreaking havoc on local producers, who battle to sell South African products.

There has been an explosion of interest in products offered by these foreign e-commerce giants, who deprive local industries of sales.

This has a severe impact on South Africa’s economy – impacting GDP, employment and local livelihoods.

Hence Veldskoen has decided to spearhead an initiative intended to get South Africans to buy locally-made products.

IMPACTING SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCTS

According to ModernRetail foreign e-commerce giant, Temu, spent billions of US dollars last year alone on Meta advertising.

This speaks to the amount of revenue these companies earn each year, enabling them to spend such amounts on advertising.

However, these foreign-owned enterprises trading in South Africa have severe impacts on small to medium-sized producers operating in SA.

South Africa stands to gain little when consumers support these overseas giants often selling cheap or poorly manufactured products.

In fact, this does not help South Africa’s economy to grow.

SUPPORT LOCAL CAMPAIGN

Veldskoen has started an initiative to get South Africans to buy local products.

Years ago, South Africans were frequently reminded in the media of how important it was to buy local products and to support local brands.

However, there appears to fewer reminders of the benefits of buying local products in the media these days.

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCTS

The Proudly South African initiative, launched in 2001, was a constant reminder of how important it was to buy locally produced goods.

Locally produced products often carry the Proudly South African logo.

Veldskoen has launched a crusade to support local brands this Black Friday by creating the ‘Local List’.

Local brands that make products in South Africa and want to be part of this list are encouraged to join the initiative.

THE LOCAL LIST

This list features a collection of South African businesses that employ South Africans and help to grow the country’s economy.

By supporting local brands this Black Friday South Africans can indeed help to increase job security, boost manufacturing, and drive economic growth in the country.