The Footwear Manufacturers’ Federation of South Africa (FMF) was established in 1944 to serve the interests of footwear manufacturers in the RSA at national level. However, in 1997 the FMF was restructured to encompass the supplier industries’ and the Southern African Footwear & Leather Industries Association (SAFLIA) was formed to enable the footwear manufacturers and suppliers to work closer together for the benefit of the footwear value chain.
SAFLIA is formally registered with the Department of Labour as a national employer organisation in terms of the Labour Relations Act. The Constitution makes provision for three separate sections, viz. Footwear Manufacturing Section, Supplier Section and the Tanning Section. It furthermore provides for direct representation on the SAFLIA Management Committee by Small and Micro Enterprises who have been defined as employers with less than 50 employees and with a turnover of not more than R2,5m. The various sections can meet separately, from time to time, as circumstances dictate.