S&V African Leather Magazine Vol15 No2 February 2021
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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 workBoksburg, 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 ...more
Footwear Industry Articles
- ‘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.& ...moreLemaitre’s Robust Pro, ‘based on user feedback, is a gamechanger in safety footwear’Lemaitre, a trusted leader in safety footwear, is proud to announce the launch of the New Robust Pro, a reimagined safety shoe designed to deliver unparalleled comfort, durability, and all-around protection for workers across industries. With the Robust Pro we set out to create a shoe that truly works as hard as the people who wear it by ...moreNational Leather and General Goods Strategy WorkshopOn 23 June, following months of fieldwork, B&M Analysts (BMA) hosted an online workshop to discuss the recovery of the handbags, belts, travel goods and allied manufacturing industries in SA.The industries, although very diverse, fall under the General Goods & Handbags Sector of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Indus ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- FMD: Government upbeat, little comment from industryPretoria, Gauteng, SA – The Department of Agriculture’s “strategic objective” is to vaccinate 80% of South Africa’s national cattle herd – which is around 14 million animals – against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) by December this year, according to a media statement on 12 May.“The vaccinatio ...moreCooperation between SMEs, academia and government can find solutionsDr Cecilia China, AfriTech Organic Leather Co. Ltd, the Nelson Mandela Institution of Science & Technology She said Africa has the hides and skins but lacks organised systems to convert them into competitive products.She described her interactions with the Kiwango Leather Cluster with the goal of producing high quality, eco-frien ...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 ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Biodegradable disposable gloves ‘a growing trend’ in PPEThe poster is available to download in English in both PNG and PDF formats hereCompostable and biodegradable PPE are said to be rapidly growing trends internationally, lead by brands like Showa and HaPPE Earth.The nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation GmbH in Hürth, Germany, has published an updated versio ...moreNew OHS regulations coming into force later this year mean PPE needs to be reviewed, tooIn 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 ...moreUnderstanding local and international PPE standards: Clarity in a complex landscapeAppearances and claims to the contrary, South Africa’s PPE industry “is largely unregulated, and a high percentage of PPE on the market is not compliant with official standards”, uvex Safety SA MD Christo Nel said, “and that’s a problem at many levels, and for the entire value chain”.He said the fundame ...more
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