Will Brexit have an impact on the mohair sector?
Brexit will have limited to no impact on the mohair sector in South Africa as very little mohair is traded via the United Kingdom. Our major trading partners are China and Italy, though Japan, Taiwan and South Korea are also important markets.
Do you export to Scandinavia?
SAMIL exports exquisite Hand Knitting yarns to Scandinavia. We have created bespoke yarns for these markets, incorporating Scandinavian influences in both style and colours.
Do you support small-scale farmers?
We formed SAMIL Farming in 2011 to increase mohair availability through joint ventures with commercial and emerging farmers. An assistant farming manager has been appointed to focus solely on increasing our emerging farmer partnerships. Among the success stories are Ms Sarah Louw of Jansenville and Ms Ntombomzi Qeqe-Lwana of Kommadagga.
Michael emigrated from the UK to KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in 1981 in order to take up the position of Quality Assurance Manager with the Frame Group.
A chartered member of the Textile Institute in South Africa, he has managed several large textile companies since then. Mooi River Textiles was awarded Cotton Spinner of the Year for three consecutive years under his leadership.
He was appointed CEO of SAMIL Natural Fibres in Port Elizabeth in 2016.
Are your investments in combing and spinning paying off?
The investments have not only led to the upliftment of the quality of the products but created the opportunity to produce yarn types that we were previously unable to. We see the investments as the opportunity to secure employment for our employees into the future through enabling us to increase our market share.
What sort of variety do you offer in terms of types of yarns?
SAMIL Spinning produces a wide range of yarns focussing mainly on mohair yarns or mohair blended with other noble fibres such as alpaca and wool as well as all-natural yarns which includes blends with silk and bamboo.
We produce yarns of natural fibres blended with man-made fibres such as polyamide, polyester or acrylic fibres, as requested by our customers. Yarn styles range from flat worsted yarns for items such as socks and jerseys, to black headband ties used by Arab sheiks in the Middle East and fancy loop and brushed yarns used by Europe’s top fashion houses.
For more information, visit www.samil.co.za
