S&V African Leather Magazine Vol15 No2 February 2021
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
Click the advert links for more info. • Download PDF
IN THIS ISSUE:
3 Sam Setter's Pills
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
03 Tanneries
- The Zambian Crocodile Farmers' Association expects first crocodile tannery to open this year.
- Zambezi Tanners gearing up for whole hide upholstery leather production, writes Johnny Kleyhans.
- In Burundi, tannery-come-manufacturer Afritan plans to increase footwear production, says Béde Bedetse.
05 Hide Prices
- A graph supplied by ABSA.
07 An Eclectic View
- H. Proctor writes about the importance of machinery maintenance.
10 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
12 Suppliers
- Buckman price increases.
12 Notice Board
- Looking back: From telephones to tanning has all been in a lifetime's work for Sam Wells.
- IULTCS appoints Jacqueline Glasspool and Gustavo Defeo as new Testing Commission convenors.
- IULTCS announces winners of its young scientist awards.
19 Agriculture
- Fuel price increases not good news ahead of the onset of winter crop plantings, writes Paul Makube of FNB AgriBusiness.
Advertisers in this Issue
Cape Karoo International Ltd (11), ISTT (OFC), Lanxess (2), Mimosa (4), Rolfes Leather Division (6), Seton AutoLeather (8), Stahl (9).
In The Next Issue
- Crafters and hobbyists. Out on March 19.
- Looking back: Sam Wells: From telephones to tanning - all in a lifetime's work
Boksburg, Gauteng, SA - I immigrated to South Africa in 1974 to take up employment with Plessey SA, upgrading and automating telephone exchanges. In 1981 I was deployed to the Natal north coast to install at Paradise Valley (Pinetown), Salt Rock, Ballito, Verulam and Stamford Hill (Durban). This is when we met Lionel Astill, M ...moreZaCFA expects croc tannery to be running by year endLusaka, Zambia (February 12, 2021) – The Zambia Crocodile Farmers Association (ZaCFA) "is quietly confident" that the industry has turned around following the removal of the 10% export duty imposed on raw crocodile skins in the 2021 Budget, according to association spokesperson and Kalimba Farms chairman Bill Thomas. Altho ...moreZambezi gearing up for whole hide upholstery leather productionNot much good news due to the lockdowns which have seriously affected the markets locally and internationally. However optimism prevails at Zambezi Tanners, which is re-equipping for full bovine hide production. This is in line with the ongoing demand for upholstery leather, which is currently being imported. A Zimbabwean leather furnitur ...moreAfritan plans increase in footwear productionBujumbura, Burundi - Tannery and finished goods manufacturer Afritan plans to increase its manufacturing to 500 pairs/day "in the near future", director Bède Bedetse said. He said the tannery was working well below capacity, and that a second, smaller tannery in the country is currently closed. "We have c ...moreMachine maintenanceMachines or equipment that is not maintained (or looked after) will not last long. A machine or equipment that must be replaced often adds unnecessary expense to the business, contributes to end of life waste, and drives consumption demand. Energy efficiency and sources of contamination are what hurt the tannery even more, however – ...moreBuckman price increasesMemphis, Tenn., USA (February 02, 2021) – Buckman, a privately-held global company specializing in innovative chemistry and smart solutions, announced global price increases of 8 to 25% for all product offerings. The price increases became effective immediately. Recent increases in the price of raw materials, in addition to ri ...moreIULTCS announces two new Testing Commission convenorsKettering, UK (February 21,2021) - At the recent virtual meeting of the IULTCS leather test method commissions, 2 of the 3 convenors were replaced -The IUP (Physical) and IUF (Fastness) Commissions have new convenors: Jacqueline Glasspool was appointed as the new convenor of the IUP Commission (and also of the Working Group 2 (WG2) o ...moreWinners of 2021 IUR research grants announcedKettering, UK (February 22, 2021) - The executive committee of the IULTCS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 IUR research grants to be awarded to 2 young scientists, under the age of 35. The monetary awards help support the work of young talent in the leather sector. This is the seventh year of the grants which have been gener ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Julz Shoes launches men’s range
Sneaker and moccasin style samples from the men’s range.Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA – Women’s leather comfort/lifestyle brand Julz Shoes has launched a men’s collection under the brand Will’s Shoes.Both ranges are “locally designed, made offshore”, GM Hayley Barker said.“Julz has built a loy ...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 ...more‘Growth in online gambling may be big factor in siphoning off disposable income’East London, E. Cape, SA – Trading conditions are constrained and steady. We need to focus on good quality products at reasonable prices / value. We are optimistic about the direction of the overall economy in RSA.As a wise man once said regarding growing a business: “Sometimes you have to move slowly to be able to move fast.& ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Improving the strength and softness of crust leather through pressure treatment
IntroductionRetanning and fatliquoring have a major impact on the characteristics of leather, whereas dyeing and the finishing concentrate on the appearance of the leather. Various retanning agents and fatliquoring agents have been developed to improve the softness and mechanical strength of leather, parameters that are important to the b ...moreLEATHER’S ELEMENTARY UNIT
Geoff Attenburrow’s PhD student David M. Wright worked on the behaviour of leather under strain (Attenburrow, 1993; Wright, 1996). They were the first to describe that leather had a “co-operating unit”, a set of structures within leather that helped the leather to resist breaking and to resist deformation at low strain.T ...moreKenya announces $39 million investment to strengthen livestock productionKenya plans to launch a 5 billion-shilling ($38.6 million) investment program to modernize its livestock sector and strengthen one of the country's most important rural industries.President William Ruto announced the initiative on June 1 during a visit to Wajir County in northern Kenya.According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the program ...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. ...moreThe PPE Conference – PPE isn’t optional, it’s essential: A review
Leighton Bennett, the Safety First Association chairperson and a SHE and risk management consultantThe hosts of this first PPE Conference held in South Africa, were the Safety First Association and SAPEMA, on the 10 and 11 March 2026, at the Emperor’s Palace, in Kempton Park.This conference objectives were to provide a unique opport ...moreThe concepts behind safety: Why bother with PPE on the ‘Road to Zero Harm’?
For over a decade, the ILO and other such bodies have been pushing this whole notion of "Zero Harm", "Road to Zero" and other such catchy titles, all pushing the idea most probably backed by one-sided research that "Zero Harm" is the only way and can be achieved if you work hard enough.My problem with this id ...more
© S&V Publications
