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Lovemore Zigara, Midlands Correspondent
THE country’s biggest shoe manufacturer Bata Shoe Company says it has been forced to scale down its school shoe production output due to market pressure from cheap imports.
Zimbabwe continues to suffer increased leather products imports which is adversely affecting the viability of the school shoe manufacturing line.
Bata has over the years built its reputation as the best school shoe manufacturer and has indicated that it will not totally abandon the manufacture of its school shoe lines such as the Toughees and Weinbrenner.
Mr Ehsan Zaman, the company managing director told Business Chronicle that subdued sales in the school segment had resulted in the company introducing new lines at its factory.
“We have changed our product line completely. We used to be a school shoe making company but school shoes are seasonal as they are sold at the end of the year or at the beginning of the year. But also throughout the year we sell but it is not in large volumes,” he said.
“We have therefore diversified our product lines from a school shoe making company. We are now making various kinds of shoes some of which we have been importing before. This year we introduced new articles in the market and for next year we will continue to do the same.”
Mr Zaman said the continued importation of cheap school shoes in the country has also contributed to low sales.
“Despite measures that have been put in place by the Government to protect the local leather industry through various levies, cheap school shoes continue to be sold on pavements and this has a negative effect on our operations,” he said.
Early this year the company re-introduced its Pata Pata and Sandak lines, which have surpassed its production target of two million pairs.
The Gweru based firm is operating at 95 percent capacity and employs more than 1 100 workers.
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