S&V African Leather Magazine Vol11 No5 May 2017
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Sector Reports
SHALC AGM: Export restriction debate drags on, but defending leather against animal welfare will be issue of the future.
Automotive: Move away from SA continues, and local hide prices must come down, says Adrian Visser.
Footwear: All sectors under pressure, says Gert Kruger.
Furniture: We need to export, and we have to be more competitive, says Rudolf Hanni.
Game skins: New association aims to up standards.
Education – the 2017 SLTC Convention
Back from the brink, but much more to do.
Opinion – What are Phthalates?
From columnist H. Procter.
Some hide and leather specifications
Compiled by the ISTT.
Product News
Lanxess: New developments in leather chemicals.
Trade Fairs
ACLE coincides with World Leather Congress.
Textiles
EU now a member of ICAC.
Advertisers in this Issue
BASF (2), DyStar Boehme Africa (4), ISTT (9), Lanxess (OFC), Mimosa Extract Co (10), Rolfes Chemicals (6), SCOT (8).
- Export restriction debate drags on, but defending leather against animal welfare will be issue of the future
Skin, Hide & Leather Council (SHALC) AGM, at the Intercontinental Hotel, OR Tambo Airport, May 26 ...moreAutomotive: Move away from SA continues, and local hide prices must come down
We could re-print the same report that was written last year as all those factors, trends and predictions held true for this past year as well, and will probably continue to do so going forward. The sourcing of business to Europe, the de-contenting and the swing away from leather interiors have continued this past year, resulting in a muc ...moreGame skins: New association aims to up standards
The new association for taxidermists and associated businesses had its formal launch in MayThe South African Taxidermy & Tannery Association (SATTA) was established in October 2016 with the aim to become the officially recognised body to serve the Taxidermy, Tannery and Dip & Pack industry in South Africa. We aim to actively work ...moreWhat are the Phthalates?
A chemical that is often used in the tanning industry is phthalic acid. At the turn of the last century the industry was fascinated by the development of chromium tanning, that aspired to be a viable alternative to the vegetable tanning method (that was universally practiced). During chromium tannage, masking salts can be added to increas ...more2017 SLTC Convention - Back from the brink, but much more to do
This year's SLTC Convention, its 65th - while short of where the organising committee would like it to be - showed significant improvement over last year's event, which was a low point in the SA Section's 75 year history. Attendance was marginally up, from 37 to 42. More importantly, 10 of them were from 7 tanneries, against 5 from 6 last ...moreFurniture: We need to export, and we have to be more competitive
The reality that the furniture manufacturing sector was negatively affected by the economic downturn could be seen in the drop of domestic leather sales. Initially, there was movement from high-end leathers to corrected grain leathers purely from a cost point of view. However, these sales reduced dramatically as the general consumer had t ...moreFootwear: All sectors under pressureThe domestic footwear industry has continued in a similar vein to 2016: that is a lot of uncertainty about future demand and what impact the ongoing political and economic instability will have on consumer behaviour. Different sectors of the footwear market have experienced varied trading conditions, with the civilian footwear sector (fas ...moreLanxess: New developments in leather chemicalsEdenvale, SA - The Leather Business Unit of specialty chemicals company Lanxess is one of the leading suppliers of system solutions for the leather industry – from chemicals for all stages of leather production to on-site technical support. With its product portfolio and processes for manufacturing leather for a range of purposes, i ...moreMore to do in ShanghaiACLE coincides with World Leather CongressShanghai, China - The 20th edition of the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) (August 30-September 1) will be preceded on August 29 by the 3rd World Leather Congress (WLC), also in Shanghai, themed 'The Leather Revolution'. These 2 major events are the most important to be organised in China ...moreEU now a member of ICACFrom the Secretariat ICAC Washington, USA – The membership of the EU in the ICAC is of strategic significance to the world cotton industry and the 150 million people involved in cotton production, marketing and processing each season. Some of the most important trade and research institutions in the world of cotton are h ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Comrades Expo 2026
Durban, 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 ...moreEffects of AI in developing the relationship between feet and footwear (part 1)
Historically, theoretically and practically, our feet have played a significant role in the connection of the body to mother earth. We know that the foot is a hardy, adaptable and biomechanically efficient part of the anatomy, such that little else is required to ensure maximum traction, propulsion, stability, cushioning, shock absorption ...moreWe could make sports shoes then, and I’m sure we could make them now
Retired shoemaker Brian Zyster shares more of his memories of ‘the good old days’ of footwear manufacturing in South Africa ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Mobilising Africa’s natural livestock resource to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain
Africa possesses one of the world’s largest livestock populations, yet the continent captures only a fraction of the value generated from leather and leather-based products. From cattle in the East and South Africa, to goats and sheep across North Africa, the continent’s abundant livestock resource represents not only a source ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': TraceabilityThe EU Commission is very much engaged in bringing traceability of our raw materials to the forefront of tannery management. But let’s reflect on this for a moment. In the industrial world traceability is a fact, and particularly where food is involved, traceability is a standard requirement for trading. This is firstly to ensure fo ...moreSA’s 2025 automotive leather exports: Down on 2024, but still good, on the face of it
Figures from NAAMSA’s Automotive Trade Manual 2026 Automotive components – exports by product Component category 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 % of total export value Ran ...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. ...moreOccupational noise-induced hearing loss ‘is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world’
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world*. 16% of all disabling hearing loss in adults is due to noise exposure.It’s also expensive. According to one study, it costs US$242 million in annual compensation in the USA. In the UK, the typical cost per claim in the is £ ...moreRealPPE Marketplace: Where safety meets smarter procurement
RealPPE 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. ...more
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