Fashionomics Africa launches “game-changer for Africa’s fashion entrepreneurs”

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Fashionomics Africa’s pilot phase of a digital marketplace is set to connect African creators with the world.

African Development Bank’s flagship initiative, Fashionomics Africa, launched the digital marketplace to connect African fashion designers, textile and accessories professionals connect with global markets.

The launch took place on 25 November at the Global Gender Summit, a gathering of more than 1,500 representatives from multilateral development banks, financial institutions, governments and private sector leaders in Kigali, Rwanda.

Connecting business to business, businesses to consumers

The Fashionomics Africa digital marketplace website and mobile app, sponsored by the Fund for African Private Sector Assistance, is the latest innovation from Fashionomics Africa – a platform enabling African entrepreneurs from the textile, apparel and accessories industries to create and grow their businesses, with a focus on opportunities for women and young people.

GGS2019, Fashionomics Africa Digital Marketplace video from AfDBGroup on Vimeo.

“It is the first-ever B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) platform that has ever been created for, micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises that are working along this value chain,” Dr Jennifer Blanke, the bank’s vice-president for agriculture, human and social development, said at the launch.

“It is all really for connecting business to business, businesses to consumers and ensuring we are putting into place all we need to really transform the clothing and fashion industries in Africa,” she added.

Facilitating trade within Africa and the world

The Fashionomics Africa digital marketplace and mobile app provide relevant market information, like market prices for textiles and clothing or listings of trade conferences, to increase transparency in the sector.

The aim is to connect suppliers, buyers, manufacturers and distributors to consumers and investors – to increase access and grow markets. To facilitate trade within Africa and worldwide, the digital marketplace and app operate through secure e-commerce and online payment systems.

“The Fashionomics Africa digital marketplace will be a game-changer for Africa’s fashion entrepreneurs, to be able to reach regional and international markets and increase their revenues,” said Mahlet Teklemariam, founder of Hub of Africa, an Ethiopia-based fashion platform that promotes African brands.

Hub of Africa was one of the exhibitors at the bank-organised Fashionomics Africa pop-up market at the Global Gender Summit. The pop-up market featured 43 regional fashion brands and showcased the ‘Made in Africa’ business case for fine garments. It celebrated the power of African culture as an economic asset, a driver for growth and regional integration, as well as a source of jobs for our youth and women.

The Fashionomics Africa digital marketplace website and the mobile app aims to increase productivity for fashion entrepreneurs through capacity building and online training tools and facilitate access to finance through traditional and innovative financing channels.

After registering on the Fashionomics Africa website, the digital marketplace and app are free to use. The app is available for Android and Apple devices.

Private Label now commands R54bn in annual sales in SA

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Private label has carved out a strong and distinct space in the South African retail landscape, proof of which is the category’s R54 billion in sales in 2019, which represents 9.6% year on year growth, ahead of the 4.4% growth of branded goods, seen within modern trade.

The growing importance of private label – brands sold exclusively through a particular retailer and sometimes referred to as “no name” or “house brands” – is also seen in its 22% overall share of FMCG sales in South Africa, a steady increase from 21% in 2018 and 20% in 2017.

These are just some of the results from the 2019 Nielsen State of Private Label Report for South Africa, which covers the modern trade sector in South Africa, and looks at where private label is growing, where it is not and what the future holds.

Elaborating on the latest findings, Nielsen South Africa retailer vertical lead Gareth Paterson comments; “Private label goods have shown strong growth across the globe in recent years and it is no different in the South African market. A key driver of this growth is the current economic constraints placed on South African consumers – given the increases in prices for petrol, utilities, and various forms of tax.”

More than just price

As a result of their highly constrained situation, the Nielsen report found that 80% of local consumers compare private label (PL) products with leading named brands, with the majority claiming that they buy these types of products because they’re cheaper. However, the relationship now runs much deeper than that, with product quality and innovation increasingly coming into the mix.

Paterson comments; “It is no longer just the fact that consumers are under pressure and consider PL as a cheaper alternative. Consumers now also expect innovation within the PL space. We see retailers have responded to the challenge with many of these items no longer merely replicating leading brands, but actually driving innovation within particular categories”.

“In fact, PL is innovating across the entire gambit of the affordability spectrum, not only within the ‘cheaper’ price bracket, but also within the ‘premium’ range, which now accounts for more than a quarter of PL sales within South Africa.”

With this focus on innovation, the Nielsen report reveals that the majority of consumers have shifted perceptions and claim that PL quality is just as good as named brands.

Top performers

Overall, almost 70% of PL sales continue to come from Perishables and Dry Groceries, with Chicken and Long Life Milk being the biggest contributors to incremental growth in 2019, and a recovery in categories like Chilled Processed Meats. Although growth has slowed for Prepared Meals – a star performer during the last two years – there is still a big focus from retailers on their fresh offerings in order to attract more shoppers into store.

Looking at specific pockets of performance, Confectionary, Baby Care and Personal Care have all seen good growth. Paterson says the “Confectionary growth is supported by the busy lifestyle of South Africans today, which leaves them with less time and has made snacking an important part of their diet. Retailers have capitalised on this trend and are showing great innovation within salty snacks, driving the Private Label confectionary growth.”

In terms of Baby Care, Paterson says the quality of PL within this category has improved, owing to great innovation within this space, resulting in Diapers and Wipes showing double-digit growth as well as consumers claiming that they’re purchasing more PL Baby Food products.

“As consumers have moved into PL products within Baby Care, we have seen the trust grow as these brands deliver a quality product at a good price. It is clear that consumers have come to trust store brands with important purchases such as diapers for their children indicating that this growth is not just a short term trend”.

Looking at Personal Care, growth is being driven by Hand and Body, with a big focus from the retailers in this category due to the competition within this supergroup.

Following the global trend, local consumers are also more focused on health, with PL showing good double-digit growth within the healthcare supergroup i.e. Vitamins and Supplements, stemming from a big drive from major retailers to win within this space.

Finding space in the basket

Commenting on the overall effect of PL growth on the South African retail sector, Paterson says; “PL continues to find its place within the South African basket and its rise in popularity is the sign of a maturing retail market. Given that local consumers say that they are willing to try new brands, PL is in a great position to realise even more growth over the coming years.

“However, it must be stressed that well established, named brands continue to play a vital role in terms of providing a rich legacy of quality and innovation, so it’s certainly not a case of ‘either or’ when it comes to choosing between the two but rather a maturing retail sector that’s offering South African consumers greater value for money and ultimately, more choice.”

Juventus collaborates with cult brand Palace in bid to boost global profile

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Article written by Massimo Marioni, CNN

 

Italy’s most successful soccer club, Juventus, has revealed its groundbreaking collaboration with cult skate brand Palace — and the apparel is generating the kind of hype usually reserved for major fashion labels.
The kit’s global launch resembled the type of social media “drop” now widely used to generate buzz around exclusive streetwear collections.
First, the club’s Instagram account teased shots of players arriving for their match against Genoa in new training gear. Then came the big reveal of the new “fourth” jersey (clubs typically only produce three designs per season) which features Palace x Adidas branding on Juve’s signature black-and-white stripes, complete with neon accents and spotted gradient design.
“For us, there’s not many teams we wanted to work with,” said Palace founder Lev Tanju. “Juve was just top of the list. For me, they are just one of the most iconic and chic football teams on the planet.
“They approached us to do something, and it all went on from there. We really just wanted to make something happen on (the) pitch rather than just make some dual-branded stuff. It’s been a dream for us to design a kit for them.”

Building a brand

For Juventus, conquering Italian soccer has never been a problem. The team is sitting top of Serie A, having won the title eight years in a row and 35 times in total.
But when it comes to establishing the club as a global brand — especially when you factor in competition from US sport giants like the New York Yankees, Chicago Bulls and Oakland Raiders, whose famous logos are adorned on leisurewear worldwide — then the mountain facing the team becomes dauntingly steep.
With soccer exploding in popularity across Asia and North America, the scramble among top clubs to attract new fans is highly lucrative. So how does a club make the crossover from domestic powerhouse to global brand powerhouse?
Most major clubs have already launched new media strategies on platforms like Twitter, YouTube and TikTok to communicate with a fans worldwide in their native languages and entice casual supporters. It’s now the norm for teams to travel beyond Europe on lengthy pre-season promotional tours.
Signing superstars with huge social followings and worldwide appeal, like Cristiano Ronaldo, also helps. But Juventus, nicknamed “The Old Lady,” has slowly and steadily been working towards a more revolutionary strategy — one that the Palace collaboration appears to play into.
“We’re looking to evolve into a brand keeping football at its core but seen as an experience provider for a wider audience — no matter who or where,” said Juventus’ chief revenue officer, Giorgio Ricci. “Whether it’s at our stadium or wearing a lifestyle product or through our social media content.
“The partnership with Palace is a pillar of the new strategy. We know that youngsters are keen to interact with the brand if it acts with authenticity, and that’s the base for everything.
“The collaboration with Adidas and Palace has given us the authenticity to enter the sports fashion market through the front door.”

Infiltrating wardrobes

If you’re unfamiliar with Palace, that may be because the 10-year-old brand positions itself as an elusive, underground skate label. But make no mistake, it’s a big player in the streetwear scene, which has found a massive market in Asia and North America.
Sported by celebrities from Drake to Jonah Hill, the young British label has established itself as a firm favorite among fashion editors, influencers and teenagers worldwide. And herein lies the appeal to the Italian soccer giant.
The new jersey and complementary leisurewear, featuring tracksuits, T-shirts, shorts and socks, go on sale Friday at Juventus, Adidas and Palace stores worldwide — with a Palace pop-up shop in Shanghai’s Arkham nightclub opening the door to a lucrative Chinese market.
But Juve isn’t the only soccer club attempting to infiltrate the wardrobes of fashion-conscious casual sports fan in emerging markets.
Paris Saint Germain, a French soccer powerhouse similarly lacking in global clout, has recently launched successful collaborations with Nike’s Air Jordan brand and cult streetwear label A Bathing Ape, helping the club attract A-list celebrity admirers such as Leonardo Di Caprio, Rihanna and Kendall Jenner.
Barcelona and Manchester City, meanwhile, made somewhat less successful forays into fashion. Their partnerships with Replay and Dsquared2, respectively, drew mixed reactions and proved that fashion experimentation — in any form — is a risky business. Simply wearing the hottest labels may not guarantee you credibility.
“The challenge is to engage our audience through activities and content which stand out from the crowd, being true and authentic to our brand DNA,” said Ricci. “US and China are key in our plan — most importantly the young generation, but we know how crowded the entertainment market is in those regions. The real competition is conquering the spare time of each individual.”

PUMA X MAYBELLINE reveal their first special-edition Apparel and Footwear Collection

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Article from BizNiz Blog

 

After the launch of their high-performance makeup collection earlier this year, global sports brand PUMA and #1 cosmetics brand Maybelline New York have teamed up again to debut a special-edition apparel and footwear collection.

 

For over 100 years, Maybelline New York has transformed the beauty scene by creating the world’s first modern mascara. The cosmetic brand has lived up to its reputation as the ultimate make-up expert due to its countless on-trend and high-performance beauty products. As the perfect mix of beauty, fashion and sport, the collection between PUMA and MAYBELLINE brings together MAYBELLINE’s hard-working product and on the pulse trends with PUMA’s sports and fashion DNA, resulting in a collection inspired by both brands featuring lipstick kisses and playful make-up references.

Designed for the ultimate streetstyle, the PUMA X MAYBELLINE collection shows off fierce make-up influences. Retailing for R1 799, the PUMA Cali X MAYBELLINE gets a printed “mascara”-smeared Formstrip. Made of a leather upper with a perforated leather toe, the sneaker in its white and black colour combo also features subtle colour drops in pastel rose and the Maybelline New York logo on the tongue.

PUMA X MAYBELLINE also includes matching apparel like the PUMA X MAYBELLINE Hoody (R1 499) with drawcord for customized comfort as well as the PUMA X MAYBELLINE Top (R1 199) and Leggings (R1 099) with playful graphics.

Get ready to turn some heads – PUMA X MAYBELLINE drops at PUMA Select, PUMA Braamfontein and PUMA Sandton City from 9 October 2019.

 

Edgars Revamps Online Store

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Article from BizCommunity website

 

Shortly after launching its new concept store in Johannesburg, Edgars has announced the revamp of its online shopping site. According to the retailer, the site has been designed with the mobile experience in mind, and offers products across the fashion, homeware and beauty categories.

 

The site now has a wish list feature that allows shoppers to create multiple lists for special occasions like summer holidays, the festive season or Valentine’s Day – all of which can be shared via email.

 

Customers are also able to check stock quantity of specific items in the various Edgars stores.

 

The search function now returns more relevant results across a wide selection of products, brands, category, articles and promotions, and filters are more defined. For example, in sunglasses and eyewear, one can filter for lens coating, lens type and shape, while in eye makeup, one can filter for colour family, finish and form.

 

Customers are able to write product reviews, obtain their Thank U account statements and points balance, track orders, log a return or exchange, and link or delink their cards. While the ‘Inspire’ section links to the Edgars Mag, featuring content like beauty tutorials, interviews and fashion tips.

How Female Consumers are Shaping SA’s E-commerce Boom

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High mobile penetration, secure payment options and changing spending habits, and female consumers, are driving South Africa’s e-commerce industry. This is according to IPG Mediabrands’ specialist digital agency, Reprise.

Natasha Courtney, social media manager at Reprise South Africa, says: “Currently only a quarter of South African retailers are spending through digital channels but with more of the population shifting their behaviour and budgets to online shopping, more retailers are making their products and services available online all the time.”

Online shopping is a female space

Women especially prefer interactive and easy-to-use options that allow them to share their shopping experiences with other users and to get feedback and user ratings about the products or services they’re interested in purchasing.

“Out of the 39% of women who are actively shopping online in South Africa, there was one predominant reason they enjoyed shopping this way – convenience,” says Courtney.

Digital shopping platform ThinkOver says that 89% of women will wait for an item to go on sale before purchasing. More than half of respondents (55%) said they continuously check a retailer’s website for sales while 58% monitor their inboxes for sale alerts.

What’s more, 75% of women said they get upset when an item they wanted to buy went on sale and they weren’t aware of it.

When it comes to preferred payment terms, 54% of South African shoppers like to pay cash on delivery. When asked about debit card payments, 52% of consumers preferred this method.

“Loyalty programmes are a big part of a woman’s shopping experience with the study finding that 80% of women belong to store loyalty programmes,” she says. “And we’re spending a lot of time online – the majority of female shoppers spend an average of an hour a day looking for great deals before we buy.”

No size fits all

For South African female consumers, the three most popular categories of online purchases are clothing, entertainment and education as well as tickets for events. Over 75% of women stated that they go online and choose what they want to purchase before they go out, suggesting that most purchases are pre-meditated and not a spur of the moment decision.

“Pick n Pay’s integrated annual report for 2018 showed a 70% increase in its customers visiting their website from a mobile device since they launched their online grocery shop,” says Courtney.

“But there are some downsides too – when purchasing clothing online, some women say that the clothing sizes are incorrect on delivery and the return policies and overall service turnaround times are the areas that need attention from retailers.”

Poor user experience on websites is another deterrent to online shopping.

The m-wave

“Mobile technology is transforming e-commerce in Africa and consumers are actually more likely to have a mobile device than a bank account,” she says. “South Africans are also becoming more comfortable with mobile shopping due to, for example, easy-to-use apps for ordering car rides or food becoming more commonplace.”

This research shows that the online shopping industry is growing and is set to grow even more in the coming years. It is also clear that consumers will choose online payment partners they can trust and that provide peace of mind that the security of their financial information will be a priority.

“For now, traditional shopping habits still dominate in South Africa but with almost half the population set to make an online purchase in the next year, it is clear that the e-commerce market has huge potential and will continue to grow year on year. It’s hugely exciting for retailers and consumers alike!”

Nike aims Sneaker Subscriber Scheme at $10 Billion US Kids Market

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Article by: © Thomson Reuters 2019 All rights reserved.

Nike Inc will launch a new subscription service for kids sneakers this week that seeks to woo parents with an offer of fewer nightmarish trips to the shoe store in exchange for a regular fee and consistent brand loyalty.

Aimed at the U.S. kids shoe market, estimated at an annual $10 billion (£8.29 billion), “Adventure Club” builds on Nike’s SNKRS app, which notifies shoppers every time it launches a new shoe or has an exclusive sneaker at a nearby store.

It is Nike’s latest plan to keep shoppers coming back to its brands as it struggles with strong competition from Adidas in its U.S. home market and a resurgence in retro brands like Fila and Reebok.

With three tiers of subscription – $20, $30 or $50 a month – Nike Adventure Club is aimed at 2-year to 10-year olds and effectively gives subscribers a new pair of Nike sneakers that cost about $50 or more once a month, once every two months or once every three.

Depending on whether the kids pick, for example, Nike Air Max or Converse sneakers, members will save almost nothing or up to $50 on each pair.

“Solving the need for parents with kids aged 2-10 years means that we are going to start building relationships through kids,” the scheme’s manager for Nike, Dave Cobban, said.

The big challenge, he admitted, was helping parents get the right shoe for kids with constantly growing feet without trips to the mall or a series of mailed returns.

Nike’s subscription box will include a sizing chart in the form of a fridge magnet to help parents measure their children’s feet. The company said a pilot program with 10,000 members has shown that only a small proportion of parents get the size wrong.

“About 15% of the first order is generally not the right size. When the (customer) makes the first order and it’s the wrong size, we allow (the customer) to immediately order a new shoe and the new shoe comes before you have to send back the old one,” he said.

“The next time less than 5% make a mistake in ordering the right size on their second order and after that, it almost comes (down) to zero.”

Walmart Inc and Macy’s are already using the subscription model for beauty products to keep consumers interested in a market that is flooded by online specialty retailers and Amazon.com Inc.

Digital ‘clothes’ could be the next big Instagram hit

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Article by Lucy Handley & James Wright

Hip Scandinavian fashion retailer Carlings knew it had to make a big impression when it launched its first online store in 2018 — years after most other apparel brands.

Carlings has more than 200 physical stores in Norway, Finland and Sweden and is known for its wide range of jeans and casual clothes. When it finally started selling online last year, it wanted to do something that would draw people to its website and make it stand out.

Virtual “clothes,” pieces that were available only as digital items, turned out to be the answer.

It turned to Virtue, the creative agency owned by Vice, for a big idea. “We started thinking about what would a web shop look like 10 years ahead,” Morten Grubak, executive creative director of Virtue Nordic, told CNBC’s James Wright.

“Of course (we were) inspired by the gaming industry, games like ‘Fortnite’ and the whole virtual ‘skinning’ of your avatar. And that’s what you’ll also have on web shops 10 years ahead, digital clothing, that’s what we pitched to them basically.” The response? “It’s too risky,” Grubak explained.

When the agency pitched the idea, it didn’t go well. Carlings CEO Ronny Mikalsen called it “the strangest meeting of my life.” “I didn’t understand what they were talking about, making a digital collection … I was like, this can’t be serious, this is nothing that the consumers would be interested in,” he told CNBC.

But after Virtue held a second meeting with Carlings, something hit a nerve. “I spoke to my daughter, she’s 12 years-old and I told her about this, and she made me realize that it’s not that strange actually, it’s not that far fetched or science fiction. People are buying skins, people are using filters on social media and so on,” Mikalsen said.

Carlings’ digital clothes start at 10 euros ($9.06) for a headband and go up to 30 euros for a long oversized shiny nylon puffer jacket printed with computer code lettering. Customers upload a photo and a designer will “dress” them virtually. Once they get their outfit, they can “brag to your friends,” on social media, per Carlings suggestion. The clothes are never made in the real world and have been produced purely for the digital realm.

These virtual outfits look certain to up wearers’ credibility on Instagram, Mikalsen added. “We created a new way of thinking for the fashion industry, for the consumers, we know we have a lot of influencers out there creating this fake reality that is not available for the everyday boy or girl,” he said. The Carlings collection is genderless and available in any size, and also taps into the trend for reducing environmental impact.
Marketing solution

Yuval Ben-Itzhak, CEO of social media marketing platform Socialbakers, told CNBC that digital clothing is in its infancy for creators on the likes of Instagram and Snapchat. For marketers, digital clothes and goods may be an efficient way to create posts. “In marketing, one of the biggest and most complicated issues is how can I create content at scale. How can I keep innovating and how can I keep the digital dialogue with my audience and know my audience,” he told CNBC by phone.

Digital apparel is no emperor’s new clothes fad — in the gaming industry, “skins” and “cosmetics” are a staple item and it is estimated that in-game transactions, including buying clothes, are estimated to have made “Fortnite” parent company Epic Games $1 billion, according to figures from Nielsen company SuperData.

For Ben-Itzhak, virtual apparel will need to find a real purpose within social media to be successful. “It will require some gamification … you are seeing many games selling those virtual items and it’s a huge business … Think about dolls or think about cars and all those collections, probably when we were kids, we were collecting, we can collect that as digital items, it doesn’t need to be a physical item,” he said.

Some companies are pushing beyond virtual clothing and are creating digital characters sporting fashionable brands. On Tuesday, hip toy brand Superplastic launched Instagram pages for its two “synthetic celebrities,” animated characters Janky and Guggimon, who are set to earn money like real-life influencers, Superplastic claimed.
Worlds collide

Janky, a fashion fan, was soon posting about Guggimon’s sneakers, threatening to “burn his @balenciaga kicks” if Guggimon didn’t get out of his way, while Guggimon was pictured sitting on a “Louis Vuitton” case. “Living for this custom @lousivuitton titane trunk,” he posted. While Superplastic is not in discussions with either label about a collaboration, founder Paul Budnitz told CNBC that sponsorships are part of its business plan.

Ben-Itzhak told CNBC CGI characters and animation is an important step in social media content. “It all started with simple text. It’s moved to static images then to videos. Now, we’re looking at short videos like (Instagram) Stories and (now) these characters … On social media, innovation is at its highest velocity if you compare it to (innovation by) traditional publishers,” he said.

Having boasting rights seems to be the main motivation behind buying virtual goods. Seventy-nine percent of paying gamers in the U.S. spent money on in-game items in 2018, according to Newzoo. These include virtual clothes, where within games such as “Fortnite,” certain outfits are seen as status symbols. Kids even use the term “default” as a real-life putdown, referring to the generic clothes the video game assigns characters.

Epic Games, maker of “Fortnite,” makes money by offering “skins” to players, with a “Top Gun” skin costing $5, for example. But buying these items doesn’t get people to a new level or give them more lives in the game; gamers are looking for attention and ways to bond with friends also competing. The real and virtual worlds are benefiting each other: Mobile game “The Sims” partnered with fashion retailer Asos last year to run a virtual fashion show within the game itself, and people could then buy real versions of the clothes on Asos.

It might be a while until digital items take off on social media, but they are making headlines. A digital dress was sold for $9,500 at a blockchain event called the Ethereal Summit in New York in May. Named “iridescence,” it was created by digital agency The Fabricant, designer Johanna Jaskowska and blockchain company Dapper Labs, and Jaskowska was seen “modelling” the item on Instagram before it was sold.

But, if you’re looking for a coveted Carlings digital puffa jacket or oversized silver metallic track pants, you’re out of luck. The collection has “sold out,” although a second drop is coming soon.

South Africans are upbeat about new technologies, but worried about jobs

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Article by 

 

Powerful new technologies are emerging that will continue to affect individuals in multiple ways. This has led to references to a Fourth Industrial Revolution – a new era involving the application of digitisation and automation to different areas of society and everyday life. This revolution is one that presents distinct opportunity. But it also presents major risk and human costs.

These changes have become a growing point of discussion in most countries in the world. In South Africa the debate has drawn in policymakers, business and unions. But the voices of average South Africans have been missing from the debate. A survey completed earlier this year by the Human Sciences Research Council contributes to addressing this gap.

Consisting of 2,736 respondents older than 15, the results suggest the public recognises the promise – and the pitfalls – of this technological turn. Most people have a moderately positive view of digital technologies, but they are sceptical about the impact it will have on the labour market.

Those who took part in the survey appeared cautiously optimistic when asked about the potential impact of recent computer and internet technologies on the economy, society, and personal quality of life.

Around half – 48% – 52% – believed that the advances would be beneficial economically, societally and personally. A fifth expressed reservations, with the employed specifically concerned about job losses. They tended to acknowledge that automation would have a bearing on the workplace. A sizeable majority were concerned that it will affect them.

Public opinion remains critical from a policy and accountability perspective, as the priorities deemed important by citizens should be used to inform government’s agenda. Concerns about possible job loss due to technological change need to be considered in developing social protection and other measures to minimise the negative effects. Ignoring peoples’ voices could have far-reaching political consequences.

The threat

Three-quarters (73%) of South Africans believed that in the next decade machines or computer programmes would assume many of the jobs presently done by humans. In addition, six in 10 workers (62%) were very or quite worried that such automation will threaten their job security.

Compared to the UK, South Africans exhibited almost equivalent views on the likelihood of automation impacting on the labour market (73% versus 75%). But local workers demonstrated vastly higher levels of worry about the personal job impact of automation than is evident among British workers (62% vs. 10%).

To gauge how culturally accepting South Africans are of technological change, respondents were asked to rate how comfortable they felt with four situations involving the use of robots:

(i) a medical operation performed by a robot;
(ii) factories where workers are replaced by robots;
(iii) receiving goods delivered by drone or robot; and
(iv) being driven in a driverless car or taxi in traffic.

They provided scores using a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 means ‘totally uncomfortable’ and 10 ‘totally comfortable’ (Fig. 2).

On average, respondents weren’t particularly accepting of any of these four scenarios. Only 14-18% expressed comfort, 19-23% would be moderately comfortable, while 59-67% were uncomfortable with such propositions.

Government’s capability

We also set out to establish how confident people were in the government’s ability to intervene successfully to minimise adverse affects on the labour market.

Little more than a third (37%) were very or fairly confident that government could effectively put in place strategies to ensure that new technologies do not result in job losses, while 57% were doubtful (Fig 3). Poorer South Africans expressed greater scepticism than better off South Africans. While the survey results didn’t address the role to be played by other role-players (especially market actors), it nonetheless provided a sense of views on state policy to address any adverse labour impact that automation might produce.

What next?

The analysis suggests that, generally, there’s more optimism than circumspection about the impact of the newest digital technologies on society and peoples’ general well being. But, there’s recognition that automation will affect the labour market and there are deep concerns exist over the threat this poses to jobs. There is also broad discomfort with robots performing a range of tasks. This points to quite low levels of cultural acceptance of the application of robots.

If technological change creates further labour market inequality and sustained reductions in human employment, then carefully planned social and labour market policies will be required to address low pay, precarious employment, and expanded, long-term unemployment.

At this stage, the public is fairly pessimistic about the ability of government to minimise the human costs of the fourth industrial revolution. Ongoing dialogue between various sectors, such as at the recent inaugural Fourth Industrial Revolution SA Digital Economy Summit in South Africa, are needed to promote new insights and develop responses. There should also be campaigns to inform the public about technological change and the planned response for the country.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Twyg Awards to Spotlight Conscious Southern African Fashion Brands

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Nominations are open for the inaugural Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards, which recognise Southern African designers who have implemented a sustainable design approach and fostered ethical practices in the fashion industry.

Twyg is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to encourage sustainable living through a wide range of activities including campaigns, content creation and events.

Says Jackie May, founder of Twyg: “Our work supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 12: sustainable consumption and production, especially in the fashion industry. By acknowledging change-makers in fashion, Twyg highlights what the industry is capable of achieving, and shows its support of conscious fashion in a very complex industry.”

“Sustainability is complex and achieving 100% sustainability is an on-going and shared commitment,” says May. “The Twyg awards aim to create awareness around this and showcase the impact these designers have had in the industry.”

Selection process

The deadline for submission of nominations is Sunday, 18 August 2019 and the winners will be announced at an awards evening in Cape Town on 19 September 2019. Qualifying work should have been made by June 2019.

A panel consisting of Twyg partners at Fashion Revolution, SACTWU and SA Fashion Week will choose finalists. An independent jury will select the winners. Submissions will be judged according to specific criteria for each category. With the exception of the student award, all winners must have been in business for at least one year and would be able to demonstrate ethical labour practices and transparency in practices and sourcing.

Award categories

The Twyg Fashion Awards 2019 categories are:

• Innovative Design and Materials

This award seeks to recognise a designer who has made beautiful clothes using techniques that minimise textile waste through innovative pattern cutting, the use of pre- and post-consumer fabric waste, and reconstruction techniques. The award also seeks to recognise a commitment to using sustainable fabrics in a collection, and all submissions must demonstrate the extent to which materials have been sustainably sourced.

• Trans-seasonal Fashion Award

This award recognises a collection, brand or designer who promotes trans-seasonal and versatile style. It rewards quality garments whose design aspires to be timeless and which are made to last. This category also recognises brands that remain invested in garments after their sale, for example through the provision of lifetime guarantees or repair services.

• Sustainable Accessory Award

This award recognises an accessory or accessory brand, which implements ethical labour practices, limits toxic chemicals and uses sustainable materials to create a quality item and considers end-of-life. Ideally it should be made of compostable materials, but, if not, it should use recyclable or recycled materials.

• Sustainable Fashion Influencer

Recognises a personality who has actively promoted sustainable fashion over the last 12 months and sparked relevant conversations. On social media and other platforms, the influencer has explained sustainable issues factually and has cautioned against unsustainable fashion habits. The influencer supports conscious brands while promoting the Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle).

• Sustainable Retail Award

This award will recognise a retailer or a retailing initiative that enhances sustainability, including pre-loved/gently worn, “swop shops”, garment rental and similar activities. The award is also open to retailers who support local producers, and sustainable design and manufacturing.

• Student Award

This award will go to a student who has produced a garment or collection that addresses the challenges of sustainability in fashion in the most innovative, beautiful and practical way.

• Nicholas Coutts Award

This award recognises a designer who uses artisanal craft techniques such as weaving, embroidering or botanical dying to make fashion that foregrounds, celebrates and values the skills of the person who makes the garment.

• Change-maker Award

This award recognises a designer whose career has embraced sustainable and circular design practices. The recipient’s collections will have helped raise awareness of environmental and social issues. Criteria include choice of fabric, ethical labour practices, the extent of upcycling, the reduction of waste, and the use of non-toxic dyes. This designer demonstrates a commitment to promoting slow consumer fashion habits.

For more information and to submit nominations, visit Twyg.co.za.

The Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards are sponsored by PET plastic recycling company Petco.

 

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