Stahl/Muno split: ‘No change in day-to-day business in SA’


In South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, Mendelson & Frost (Pty) Ltd Tanning Services Division remains the agent for Stahl.
RR Chemicals cc is the agent and distributor for Muno.
Leather technician Ulf Oehl is employed by Muno while his former colleague, Ahmed Naseer, works for Stahl.
RR Chemicals member Beau Rynhoud said: “Locally, there’s not really any change. We were already handling wet end sales on behalf of Stahl.”
“Muno was created following the divestment of Stahl’s wet-end chemical division,” wrote Marta Federica Maniero, Muno Group Director ESG, Marketing and Communication.
“As a new, independent company, we focus on providing innovative chemical solutions for the leather industry. Today, we have a strong presence in key markets, 2 production facilities (one in Italy and one in India), a team of skilled professionals, and over 20 laboratories around the world.”
Announcing its decision last year to dispose of the wet end business, Maarten Heijbroek, CEO of Stahl, said: “This milestone reflects our commitment to clarity of purpose and long-term value creation. Establishing 2 independent companies will enable each to focus on its strengths and accelerate innovation in its field. Stahl will continue to drive progress in specialty coatings for a wide range of flexible materials, while Muno embarks on its own path in wet-end leather chemicals.”
Footwear Industry Articles
- Historical highlights: How Rockshoes became Trailmix TradingRockshoes was one of the many successful footwear factories in Pinetown in the 1960s through to the early 2000s. Its successor, Trailmix Trading, has repeated that success, as an importer and wholesaler. Here’s how it unfolded. ...moreVermont sale completedJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA – After 39 years, former owner Mandy Owen has sold her shares in Vermont Leathercraft Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd to Creek Lab (Pty) Ltd, and officially handed over the business to Prashant Bhaga.In a message on LinkedIn, she wrote: “I would like to thank my husband, Graham, for his invaluable contributio ...moreThe showroom pair is not the orderA shoe on a showroom table is wonderfully persuasive. A buyer can flex the forefoot, press the heel counter, check the stitching, compare the two shoes and turn the pair over to examine the sole. Colour, finish and hand feel are all there to judge.The purchase order may then reduce that pair to a short line: one style number, one colour d ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Fifteen million sheep in the UK to share among shearersAccording to the UK government, its sheep population decreased over the past year by 1.7% but that still leaves a flock of over 30 million. For comparison, the domestic flock in South Africa numbers about 21 million and New Zealand has some 23 million. Australia, with more than 70 million, has a wool clip of approximately 325,000 tonnes. ...moreNigeria’s Leather Industry: Not a clear pictureNigeria is widely accepted as having a very large livestock population, but a relatively small tanning industry, much of it concentrated in Kano, producing high grade goat- and sheepskin crust which is exported for finishing elsewhere for use in garments.Recent articles cast some doubt on this, so are Nigeria’s hides and skins: M ...moreWhen communication moves faster than truth: Why credible, evidence-based information matters more than ever.We have never had more information at our fingertips. We have also never had to work quite so hard to determine which information we should trust. Communication today moves at extraordinary speed. Social media platforms, digital news, corporate communications, industry reports and, increasingly, artificial intelligence allow information t ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- RealPPE 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. ...moreCONSIDERING A PPE MATRIXWhat Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) do we need to have on site to reduce and manage the workplace and environmental exposure risks to our employees?Safety and mining legislation place the responsibility on employers to ensure that they provide and maintain working environments that are safe and without risk to the health on employees ...moreFurther controls over the import of safety footwear are on the wayOn 03 August 2026, the Safety Footwear Working Group, led by SAFLIA, submitted a request to Minister Tau (dtic) for interim import control measures in respect of specified safety footwear. The request was strongly supported by organised labour and other industry stakeholders.The application was further strengthened by contributions f ...more



