Studies in leather education
The loss of much tradition-based training - such as the recent closure of ICLT – is a matter of concern, and can have serious effects that extend across the global leather sector. Nevertheless, there are two existing and updated studies available to help address these eventualities and minimise the impact of such closures.
The first is entitled “Leather: AN INTRODUCTION”, providing information for people who need background information on the subject, or simply want a clear understanding for general interest. The second, entitled “Leather: AN OVERVIEW OF MANUFACTURE”, is a more advanced study in 10-sections, and intended to support those who wish to become leather technicians.
These are designed for individual study and self-training, but they are also viewed within formal education as supports at introductory and intermediate levels respectively. Moreover, they are suited for reference purposes, and as part of distance learning packages - such as the SOLES initiative.
As 2 complementary volumes, they comprise around 45,000 words, enhanced with more than 450 images and industrial photographs. Using a format that combines concise text with supporting images, these studies are designed for clear understanding.
This information, produced by specialists in the industry, is available for use or dissemination by any company or organisation that wishes to promote better leather-related understanding. All of the content is available free of any charge.
Approved and reviewed by SLTC, ALCA, IULTCS and UNIDO, these studies are now available for download via their respective web sites.
Footwear Industry Articles
- Comrades Expo 2026Durban, KZN, SA – The exhibitor list at the Comrades Expo, from 11-13 June, has shown an evolution in the types of companies exhibiting. Just 1 running footwear supplier, Ikhambi Distribution, promoting its Hoka brand, was there.Technical sock suppliers, however, were well represented, with Balega, Falke, Sox Footwear and The Hirst ...moreAn industry with distinctive material riches, unable to sufficiently convert them into finished goods in a world class way“The project’s purpose,” said Courtney Grant, “is to be a robust, evidence-based strategy to address the leather and general goods sector’s challenges and unlock its growth potential.”The main headings of her presentation were:Creating the groundwork for a National Leather and General Goods Strategy:Fro ...moreR-CTFL meeting: Manufacturers told ‘to come back with something to show’Last week’s R-CTFL Masterplan meeting between retail, manufacturing, labour and government, with a concentration on footwear and leather goods, showed that the gulf between retail and the rest hasn’t narrowed.A follow-up meeting is planned for 08 May.The Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (DTIC), the SA Footwear & ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- MONEY FROM WASTEEurope has borne the difficulties and the costs of converting to a bioeconomy – the lessons are there, free, for African businesses to learn and profit from. ...moreSARLEN – the journey so farSARLEN was guided by a model policy framework for the leather value chain, adopted by all member states in 2023. It was supported by Deutsche Zusammenarbeit (German Cooperation), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), with the SADC Secretariat as the principal sponsor.The building blocks are ass ...moreSARLEN aims for business and regulatory advocacy for the leather value chain across SADCThe formation of the Southern African Regional Leather Network (SARLEN) is a process to formalise a voice for commercial, entrepreneurial and developmental associations in the leather value chain (LVC) for the region.The leather value chain has been recognised in SADC as a key entrepreneurial opportunity that can adjust to the scale of th ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- The legal ramifications: PPE and the law: Ignore at your peril?There’s no shortage of legislation covering employee safety in South Africa, but as in so much else, the enforcement is poor.In terms of our laws, the death of an employee (or anyone else) in a work situation, caused by negligence, is treated as culpable homicide. An injury caused by negligence is also a criminal act – that, b ...moreRealPPE Marketplace: Where safety meets smarter procurementRealPPE Marketplace is a 100% black women-owned B2B PPE marketplace built for South African industry. Founded after years of witnessing safety officers and procurement teams lose time to fragmented suppliers, inconsistent pricing, and missing documentation, RealPPE was created to bring structure and reliability to industrial PPE sourcing. ...moreJCB Footwear steps into a new eraJCB Footwear has announced the relaunch of its product range in South Africa, marking a new chapter for the brand in partnership with newly appointed distributor, Kaliber Safety Footwear, which is no stranger to the industry with its own successful range of safety and security footwear products.The relaunch introduces an entirel ...more






