Rolfes management get to know new colleagues
Published: 14th Apr 2025

Speciality chemicals distributor the Solevo Group, which acquired various Rolfes businesses in SA last year to add to its African portfolio, had a teambuilding and strategic session for senior management in Côte d'Ivoire recently. Pictured are the 4 South Africans (from left): Quintin Marais, MD of Rolfes Leather, Justin Ghersie, commercial director for Bragan Ingredients (the food division), André Opperman, MD Rolfes Water, and Clive Govender, MD Rolfes Chemicals (the industrial chemical division).
Footwear Industry Articles
- Traditional Guinea Leppi fabric now officially recognised as a PGIPretoria, Gauteng, SA (15/04/2025) – Leppi fabric dyed using local plants is the traditional fabric of the Foutah Djallon region in Guinea. Its Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designation, recently granted by the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI), safeguards the fabric from misuse inc ...moreCan Nike’s new CEO revive sales?Can someone with 32 years at a company bring the bold, disruptive change needed to turn it around? Nike’s Elliott Hill is that man; he spent that amount of time at Nike before retiring — only to return as CEO on October 14, 2024. While his deep experience provides stability, it may also lead to an overreliance on past strategi ...moreNostalgia: Hub Bijsterveld : Cheese & wine after a career solving consumer complaintsHarare, Zimbabwe – I note Hub Bijsterveld's memorial (09 February) in the Newsletter. Just a snippet about him. He was one of the best, if not the best chemist in the whole of the worldwide Bata Shoe Organisation. We used to have regular annual "Chemeets" in various parts of the world for our Chemists and Hub stood ou ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- COMESA launches leather value chain strategy to boost regional industrialisationNairobi, Kenya (02 April 2025) – In a landmark move to accelerate Africa’s industrialization, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has unveiled its Leather Value Chain Strategy 2025–2029.The high-profile launch, held in Nairobi, brought together government officials, development partners, private se ...moreWhen there are so many real issues to be concerned about, why pick on an industry which does much more good than harm?While some animal welfare organisations are the prime motivators behind anti-leather campaigns, they rely on others to cave in to their campaigns. London Fashion Week this year banned reptile leather. ...moreNew Zim tannery seeks ‘retired adviser’A new tannery to process cow and goat skins has started near Harare, and is hoping to attract “a retired tanning person” from South Africa for a short period to help set it up.“We have 3 drums and a few machines,” said Hashmook Naran of Tika Shoes, Harare, who is involved in the new business.“We’re curr ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- SGS to host 'Discovering PPE softlines solutions’ on 27 MarchGeneva, Switzerland – Testing, inspection and certification company SGS is hosting a complimentary webinar, ‘Discovering PPE softlines solutions’, on 27 March 2025.The global market for personal protective equipment (PPE) is expanding, but it is also becoming more regulated. Businesses looking to ensure product complianc ...moreLengthy detentions: That’s just the way it is, says NCCS&V Protect asked the National Consumer Commission to comment on Treadsafe’s experience, and also whether other containers have been detained. Jabu Mbeje, Divisional Head: Enforcement & Legal Services, at the NCC, sent this response: ...moreConsumer Protection Act marking – ‘beware faulty inspections’ warns importer who is R250 000 poorerPinetown, KZN, SA – Wholesaler and retailer Treadsafe cc, which had a container of 120 000 pairs of plain white cotton gloves held up last July by the National Consumer Commission for suspected contravention of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), managed to get the container released – almost 3 months and around R250 ...more
© S&V Publications