Frame and Bike Builders in SA

[Talk Wrench]

Hi all Hubbers,

 

I am busy on a project to assemble information regarding SA bike  manufacturers. By manufacturer, I am meaning a brand of bike or bike builder where frames are made in SA (Like Mercer) and or where the bikes are assembled in SA entirely from scratch.

 

Hint, it is in the best interest of all cyclists in SA to give me whatever information that you have that may be useful. It relates to protecting our beloved industry from additional import duties which are already levied against complete bike imports and which SARS I am sure would love to levy for any other opportunity given the chance.

 

Your assistance in this regard (and as quickly as possible) is highly appreciated.
 

Kind regards

Talk Wrench

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

What is your intention here, talk wrench. Plain English, please.

 

Protect the local industry, how? By introducing tariffs on imported parts and frames? Or removing the tariff on imported full bikes? And why would the sector need protecting when it's so healthy

[Jewbacca]

Ja... I want to know more.

 

This hint hint nudge nudge stuff just seems sinister.

 

Gavin Watson? Is that you?

[DJR]

The SA bicycle building industry came to an abrupt end in the mid 1990s when it became easier and cheaper to import bikes than to build them here. This simply happened because we re-entered the world after the isolation of the sanctions / apartheid era. Peugeot, Le Jeune, Alpina, Hansen and a few more disappeared nearly overnight. 

 

Currently there are no local manufacturers other than a handful of custom hand built brands that build very few high end custom bikes, mostly to order. The way I understand it, SA does not levy any import duties on bicycle parts to encourage locals to import parts and assemble bikes here. They DO slap duties on fully imported bikes to make local assembly more financially viable.......ja right......like that is creating so many jobs.......show me the factories. 

 

In general I dislike import export duties as a tool to help local industry. It does not work (local clothing factories in my neck of the woods all gone despite a 45% duty on imported clothes) and it just cost money. It encourages inefficiency and it leaves a space for fraud and smuggling (think of the cigarette industry) At the end of the day it is just another tax. You and I pay for it.

 

I also, would like to know how local builders could be helped or protected.

[Eugéne Alberts]

What do you want to do with the information?

 

I know Momsen touts themselves as being local. Not sure whether they frames manufactured locally as well.

[EbenJ]

Import duties are supposed to help and or protect the local industry, but whether that is working is another story.

 

Couple of years ago some clever people imported bikes in "CKD" form, and once landed assembled it and sold it. By doing it that way they saved on import duty, but then Customs got wise, and in cases where these parts were imported in the same consignment, they classified it as complete bikes as the essential character of the final product was there.

 

Not sure if they still do it, but if I look at some of the charges importers and exporters pay for the service I am not surprised at the high price of the end product....

[GraemeS]

Check out this article in the M&G.

 

https://mg.co.za/article/2013-09-13-00-fixed-assets-a-bicycle-frame-of-mind

[Swany05]

I would suggest being less ambiguous in your request. Cloak-and-dagger esque rarely get the correct responses 

 

just my 2c

 

 

 

[RocknRolla]

Our beloved Industry?

 

I don't particularly love the choke hold our local distributors and importers have on the consumer base specifically relating to components and spares.

[Shebeen]

 

I would suggest being less ambiguous in your request. Cloak-and-dagger esque rarely get the correct responses 

 

just my 2c

 

 

 

 

bizzarro!

 

You want to both protect the industry and but also don't want SARS to put any tariffs on imports?

 

What next something realistic like world peace, perpetual motion, unicorn farming?

[Eddy Gordo]

something doesnt add up, but maybe I should say the op should be more, much more clearer with his intentions.

[HeyYou]

Hi all Hubbers,

 

I am busy on a project to assemble information regarding SA bike  manufacturers. By manufacturer, I am meaning a brand of bike or bike builder where frames are made in SA (Like Mercer) and or where the bikes are assembled in SA entirely from scratch.

 

Hint, it is in the best interest of all cyclists in SA to give me whatever information that you have that may be useful. It relates to protecting our beloved industry from additional import duties which are already levied against complete bike imports and which SARS I am sure would love to levy for any other opportunity given the chance.

 

Your assistance in this regard (and as quickly as possible) is highly appreciated.

 

Kind regards

Talk Wrench

 

Something truly South African about this!!!!

[fabs]

Talk Wrench

 

and you thought that by getting the answers to a survey devised in marketing101 was going to be easy ?