S&V African Leather Magazine Vol14 No5 May 2020
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
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IN THIS ISSUE:
3 Sam Setter's Pills
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
3 Restarting Production
- Alan D. Jackson: Customers still have stock, says Morgan Naidoo.
- Bader: Business is hard to find, writes Robert O'Connell.
- Mossop Leather: Big opportunities for local manufacturing, writes Gert Kruger.
- Fusion Leather/African Gameskin: Extraordinary ideas, writes Denzil Spolander.
- SATTA: No foreign hunters this year, but awaiting easing of regulations, says Pieter Swart.
10 Exotics
- Zambia's crocodile farmers poised to upscale investments, writes Gillian Langmead.
11 An Eclectic View
- Columnist H. Proctor writes about chromium and the circular bioeconomy, and what can be done about it.
12 Technology
- Sustainable leather production - part 26: Clean technology in the dyehouse, by Dr Clive Jackson-Moss of the ISTT.
14 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
15 Notice Board
- Debbie Archer leaves ISTT.
- Buckman board elects 3 new directors.
16 Training Courses
- UNIDO offers free online leather-related courses.
17 Trade
- South African hides, skins and leather trade statistics for March.
Advertisers in this Issue
APLF (9), Cape Karoo International Ltd (6), ISTT (5), Lanxess (2), Mimosa (7), Rolfes Leather Division (4),SHALC (OFC).
In The Next Issue
- A look at the global fish skin tanning industry.
- Mossop Leather: Big opportunities for local manufacturing
Wellington, W Cape, SA - One has to acknowledge that the remainder of 2020 will be very tough. Liquidity in the industry will be the largest challenge we face and all of us have to act responsibly to our customers and suppliers in this regard. There is vast uncertainty about the medium term future and shoe manufacturers ...moreSATTA: No foreign hunters this year, but awaiting easing of regulations
Rayton, Gauteng, SA - The hunting and taxidermy sectors are awaiting the easing of restrictions on the transport of trophies and game skins across provincial boundaries, and on a broader definition of allowed hunting, before they can resume commercially viable operations. "There are so many apparent contradictions in the rules," ...moreZambia’s crocodile farmers poised to upscale investment
Lusaka, Zambia – Zambia’s crocodile farmers are poised to upscale investment, production and exports of skins following government’s intervention to suspend the 10% export duty on the industry. The removal of the 10% duty on crocodile skins has made some positive impact on the viability of the crocodile business, says th ...moreChromium and CBE
Chromium and the circular bioeconomy. Why does chromium not do so well in a circular bioeconomy? Can chromium build up in the biosphere and give us problems with plant-stunting? Can chromium be recycled more easily in a technosphere circular economy? Why don’t we recycle it more? ...moreClean Technology in the Dyehouse - Sustainable Leather Production – Part 26
The previous 25 articles in this series have discussed the different clean technology options that are available to the tanner in the beamhouse and tanyard. This article will focus on the clean technology that is available in the dyehouse that can help the tanner reduce the environmental impact of the dyehouse processes. Many of the clean ...moreBuckman board elects 3 new directors
Memphis, Tenn., USA (May 18, 2020) – Bulab Holdings, Inc., in its 75th year of business, has announced that 3 new members have been elected by its shareholders to join its board of directors: Robert Buckman (Memphis), Jacqueline Welch (Washington, D.C. Metro) and Gregg Sutherland (Denver). James Shepherd of Vancouver, Canada retired ...moreAlan D. Jackson: Customers still have stockDurban, KZN, SA - Morgan Naidoo, member of leather indent agent Alan D. Jackson, which has principals in Brazil, India and Pakistan, said most of his customers still had stocks of leather. He said the global drop in hide prices had seen the prices for Brazilian leather drop from US$2.45-2.50/ft² to $2.10, "which is a significant ...moreBader: Business is hard to findPretoria, Gauteng, SA - Unfortunately orders on the automotive side are nonexistent, and with Brazilian TR1s being offered at 0.35US$/ft², even export orders on wet blues are hard to come by and to compete with. The majority of the wet blue plants were wet salting during the lockdown phase with the prospect of being able to pro ...moreFusion Leather/African Gameskin: Extraordinary ideas and opportunitiesCape Town, W Cape, SA - Lockdown has in some crazy way been a hugely inspirational period for the Fusion Leather and African Gameskin team. The challenge of new and unknown, sparks energy in my team and leads to extraordinary thinking. We are in regular contact with our customers, carving a path for the near future, along with an 18 ...moreUNIDO offers free online leather-related coursesVienna, Austria - The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), through its ITC SME Trade Academy, is offering 2 free online courses. In a circular, industrial development officer Ivan Kral wrote: As in many countries social life and productive activities are on very low level, I would like to draw your attention to ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- SAFLEC AGM 2026: A year marked by resilience
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to welcome all our members and stakeholders to the 24th Annual General Meeting of the South African Leather & Footwear Export Council (SAFLEC).The Annual General Meeting provides us with an opportunity not only to reflect on the performance of the Council over the past financial y ...moreObituary: Joe McGinley, Conshu (14/04/1936-20/05/2026) He ran an empire, but kept a human touch
Somerset West, W. Cape, SA – Joseph Pascal McGinley, the former Conshu director who died in May, a month after his 90th birthday, was a larger-than-life character who was renowned during his career in SA for his kindness, and who lived life to the full.Born in Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland, to Joseph and Madeline McGinley, both doct ...moreA perspective: Perhaps it was an eye-opener for industry players to hear each otherLooking back over the workshop, BMA consultant Justin Snelling wrote: “In terms of our reflections of the workshop, we covered a lot of territory. Perhaps though what was most encouraging was the breadth of participation from different segments of the sector and their willingness, or even excitement, to contribute. We don’t ta ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- The leather value chain offers opportunities for all SADC countriesThe Southern African Regional Leather Network (SARLEN) and the SADC Leather Forum present a great opportunity for the development of the leather value chains (LVCs) in all or most SADC states, whose LVCs are at different stages of development.in Zimbabwe we already have a well-structured LVC coordinated by an apex body, the Zimbabwe Leath ...moreWorld first - compost: Possible, desirable, not necessarily simple
The world of compostable leather is not as historically accurate as the industry would like it to be. The definition of leather is: “hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact, tanned to be imputrescible (rot-proof). Hair or wool may or may not have been removed, and the material can include split layers or ...moreOrganic cotton at the crossroads: Ideology, evidence, and the road ahead
Washington, DC, U.S.A. (23 June 2026) — Organic cotton occupies one of the most contentious spaces in global agriculture. While praised by brands and consumers for its environmental ideals, it also faces persistent questions about yield stability, certification integrity, and scalability. The current edition of The ICAC Recorde ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Premier Workwear: Engineered protection for Africa’s industrial workforce
In high-risk industrial environments, protective clothing is far more than a uniform requirement — it is a critical component of workplace safety, operational reliability and regulatory compliance. For procurement professionals, safety managers and operational leaders, selecting the right supplier means finding a partner capable of ...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 ...moreNew OHS regulations coming into force later this year mean PPE needs to be reviewed, too
In March 2025, the Physical Agents Regulations (and their guidelines) and the Noise Exposure Regulations (and their guidelines) of the OHSAct were published, with an 18-month time-period promulgation date to September 2026, allowing employers time to upgrade their Health & Safety requirements to comply with the new published regulatio ...more
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