South Africans, on average, buy 2,2 pairs of shoes a year, but only make 0,6 of a pair (a bit more than a single shoe) locally.
Compare this with Poland, for instance, where 2,2 pairs of shoes are bought each year, on average, but which manufactures 1,8 pairs of shoes (almost three shoes) annually.
Brazilians buy slightly more shoes: 2,6 pairs on average, of which they make 3,5 pairs (seven shoes).
According to Footwear Markets Predictions: Forecasts for Global Footwear Trading to 2009, Vietnam produced 330-million pairs of shoes in 2003. This is 4,1 pairs per person, yet the average Vietnamese buys only 0,5% pairs of shoes a year. This means they are only buying a new pair of shoes every second year.
The report, by the United Kingdom-based Shoe and Allied Traders Research Association (Satra), is the latest available and was produced in 2002.
The second-lowest consumer of shoes is India, with only six in 10 Indians buying a new pair of shoes annually. The third-highest shoe manufacturer in the world, India makes just enough shoes to supply seven out of 10 people with a new pair each year. The difference is exported.
The Americans are on top of the shoe heap. They buy almost seven pairs a year. This is 1,9billion shoes. But barely a shoe is produced in the country: 98,5% are imported.
France was runner-up in the shoe Olympics, with consumption estimated at 5,3 new pairs of shoes during 2003. Imports run high at 90% of consumption.
Chinese shoe consumption is not dissimilar to South Africa on a per capita basis of 2,3 pairs annually. But sheer numbers — there are 1,3billion people in China — make it the largest shoe-consuming nation. Every year, 2,9billion shoes are bought. The country makes more than twice this — 7,2billion — and exports 4,5billion pairs every year.
South Africa imports 72million shoes — 1,6 pairs each — mostly from China.
Satra included forecasts to 2009 in its report, estimating that South Africa will manufacture 26million and import 76million pairs of shoes in 2009. The SA Footwear and Leather Industry Association says that South Africa is producing 17million pairs of shoes and importing 125million already, almost 50million more than predicted, with four years still to go.
Since 2003, demand is up by 38%, from 97million to 134million pairs. Yet production has collapsed by 35%, from 26million to 17million pairs of shoes a year.