Key Suppliers, Manufacturers and Connections
Sols Sustainability – Socially, Monetarily, and Environmentally.
Sols is proudly South African and tries to use as locally sourced and produced materials. Sols is also committed to serving its community wherever it can by trying to further its lighter footprint. Sols has attempted through a variety of ways to create a business which generates worth and meaning for those who engage with the product. From suppliers to customers, Sols has tried to build a value chain.
Sols does not import any goods, but rather supports local entrepreneurs, small enterprises, and South African brands. Some of the materials used in the making of the sandals are even made in South Africa.
Beads n Leather – Wesley Banda:
Wesley Banda, is an extremely resourceful and innovative Zambian/South African Entrepreneur. Wesley had left the life of being a financial analyst for Old Mutual in Kenya to become a sandal maker. While in Kenya, Wesley discovered the art of making Sandals with recycled tyres. Wesley left the corporate life and moved to South Africa – bringing his newly learnt skills with him. Wesley produces his own range of tyre sandals. Sols not only gets the sandals made by Wesley, but Wesley supplies the harvested tyre tread for Sols. Wesley’s business Beads n Leather also doubles up as a Non-Governmental Organisation which up-skills individuals with limited resources and education.
Wesley up-skills South Africans in how to harvest the tread from the tyre. A far more difficult process than Sols had initially anticipated. The South African market once produced very roughly crafted sandals from tyre – however, with the introduction of the steel mesh into tyres in recent times, this has ceased. Wesley has brought this craft back to South Africa with a more refined manufactured element.
Wesley not only teaches his employees how to harvest the tyre, but how to create sandals and their soles from these tyre treads. Wesley’s skills training extend beyond sandal making, and touches on sewing skills, basic financing skills and even computer skills. The involvement of Sols has also meant employees have had to work with cork and hemp – improving their skills in working with different materials, which require higher levels of care and innovation than compared to their usual workings with leather.
Through Sols and employment of Beads n Leather, Wesley Banda and his NGO have gained exposure and capital. Beads n Leather was featured on African News Network 7 and in the University of Cape Town’s Monday Monthly.
Get Cork is run by Andrew Ludin, a South African entrepreneur. Andrew imports his cork from Portugal and supplies it from there to other South African’s. Sols’ relationship with Andrew has been mutually beneficial – we have not only understood the various complexities of cork, but the challenges in working with the material. Sols’ has often referred interested parties to Andrew’s workshop. Andrew has also offered Sols the option to showcase their sandals in his workshop – a mutually beneficial relationship.
Mendelson and Frost, Woodheads, African Consolidated Agencies (ACA) The Hemporium:
Mendelson and Frost supply glues and solvents to Sols – all of these have been produced and created at the head plan in Port Elizabeth.
Woodheads is a proudly Capetonian store, which has helped Sols understand what glues to use when gluing together cork and hemp and tyre. Woodheads also supplies belt polish and paper based telescope board to Sols.
ACA provides Sols with their threads which Sols uses to sew the cork and hemp together. All threads are made in South Africa by South Africans.
The Hemporium is a South African brand which sells exclusively hemp and organic cotton products. The Hemporium has always had a very good relationship with Sols, and through this Sols has always been able to purchase hemp at its lowest cost. The Hemporium has also offered Sols opportunities for exposure – whether in shopping malls or at music festivals, and after Close of Business – these options will be utilised.
In terms of our Suppliers – Sols has aimed to source as locally as possible. Sols’ uses locally based or produced materials in order to create a more internalised sustainable business model. Sols has attempted to keep good relationships with their suppliers. Sols has found many of their suppliers to be helpful from the design and engineering of their products to the marketing and exposure of Sols. Through involving others in the creation process and involving local suppliers and manufacturers, Sols has created a strong sustainable supplier network.
Sols Customers and Beyond:
Social Media as a tool for social initiatives:
There have been two major events where Sols has attempted to use its social networks to generate goods for those in need. Sols has collected second hand shoes, clothing, toiletries, and baby items for the Haven Night Shelter in Napier Street Cape Town. Sols has also collected second hand clothing and old goods from trainees in the Sharing Our Ubuntu Legacy Program.
The Sols team has used their social networks, created Facebook and Twitter events, and gone to houses to collect items. The reason Sols collects second hand goods is to further align the brand with the notion of “A Lighter Footprint” – therefore use the resources that are available to you – do not discard or waste without understanding and using an already available resource.
Sols went to those willing to donate goods, and collected any items directly from our networks homes. Sols wanted to create a personal connection between our brand and the customer- therefore giving Sols a face; one which promotes reuse and social contribution.
Shoe collection on Mandela Day for the Haven Night Shelter
Sols collected approximately 250 old shoes from the homeless on Mandela Day. The Sols team travel from Blouberg to Muizenburg, door to door collecting second hand shoes – many which had been hardly worn.
Africa News Network found out about our initiative and filmed the Sols’ team’s collection and drop off.
Clothing and goods collection on Heritage Day for Sharing Our Ubuntu Legacy (SOULS):
Sharing Our Ubuntu Legacy works on a double value creation model. Trainees from communities in Westlake and Philippi work to resell their given items (such as second hand goods and clothing). The SOULS sellers are skilled in how to handle inventory, create budgets, and overall are taught the basics of accounting.
The top trainees and volunteers (from the communities) earn credits from their time given to these projects (R25 per hour). They are then paid from their monies made from their sales.
Sols raised 11 black bags full of second hand clothes. These clothes were dropped off on Heritage Day in Westlake. The money made from sales within the community went to their SOULS Educare Center which looks after children and babies within the community.
In order for Sols to become more financially sustainable, Sols would need to source cheaper materials. Sols does not have a huge profit margin. The cost of a sandal is between R170-R175, and the selling price is R350. Sols needs to focus in more on its target market. If it is exclusively that of the student, the price may need to be dropped. If however, Sols aims at a more affluent clientèle, the target market may be older and the advertising and medium of advertising would need to be changed. Sols may consider producing more goods with a different manufacturer, perhaps increasing the quantity of sandals produced and selling the sandals through retailers.
Continuation of the Business
In order for Sols to continue to grow it is critical that those who buy Sols and take over are briefed and familiarised with all aspects of the production and sales process. Sols would hope that those who take it over run it with the same drive and mission for customer quality and service. Sols so far has been a very hands on team, and has always depicted the brand as friendly and approachable.
Sustainability of the business, in terms of a green, eco-friendly aspect:
Sols' main concern from its inception was to create a product which was not only unseen and innovative, but one which promoted ecological awareness. Sols three core ingredients are recycled tyre, cork, and hemp. Sols aims to be ecologically friendly though promoting and utilising recycling, and through the use of biodegradable and sustainable materials. Sols could attempt to find a glue or solvents which are more ecologically sustainable and good to the earth. Currently, glues and solvents are locally produced and sourced – however, not ecologically friendly.
Sols tyre soles are harvested from discarded tyres. The tyre tread is then separated from the steal mesh of the tyre, and soles are then punched out of this tread. The remaining tyre is then taken to Blouberg, where the tyre get fully broken down.
The cork used is virtually 100% cork, with a slight component of natural rubber. Cork is an extremely sustainable product as one does not need to cut a tree down, but rather harvest the bark which will grow back. The cork itself is also biodegradable. Cork is also an extremely breathable and flexible structure.
Hemp is another extraordinary material. Hemp has various benefits, from the oil it produces, to the protein powder. Beyond these properties, hemp produces an extremely strong and resilient cellulose which goes into making the hemp material. Unlike cotton, the entire plant is used for multiple purposes and not just the bud. Hemp also uses half the amount of water to grow compared to cotton. Hemp is not only biodegradable, but its uses and faming practices are intensely sustainable.
As a brand, when engadging in socially motivated drives – Sols aims to continue to promite “A Lighter Footprint”. Therefore the aboved mentioned shoe and clothing drives revolved around collecting second hand items, making the discarded and useless, useful to those in need.
