S&V African Leather Magazine Vol16 No1 January 2022
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.
03 An Eclectic View
- Making Fly Leather: Claims that it is more environmentally friendly than leather don't stand up, writes H. Procter.
07 Knowledge Transfer, Education & Training
- An introduction to the 10-part series starting in the next issue on an overview of making leather, by Richard Daniels.
09 Sustainability
- Bangladesh: The responsibility of potential. A survey by Deborah Taylor of the Sustainable Leather Foundation.
- Testing, inspection and certification company SGS joins the Sustainable Leather Foundation.
14 Sector Reports
- Automotive leather: Report predicting 'steady growth' for auto leather is wrong, say local firms.
- Fish skin leather: Fish skin leather project by Stellenbosch University proposed to aid W. Cape jobless.
14 Fairs & Conferences
- Revomec is platinum sponsor of the III Eurocongress IULTCS 2022.
15 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
16 Agriculture
- Mobile weed killer for tree nurseries: Research by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Germany is important because it illustrates the pressure on the entire agriculture value chain to become more sustainable.
18 Notice Board
- Obituary: 'A might oak has fallen' - A tribute to ostrich tanner Pieter Yzelle, formerly with KKI and SCOT, by Frik Kriek.
Advertisers in this Issue
ISTT (02), Italtan (01), Mimosa (06), Rolfes Leather Division (04), S&V Directory (13), Skin, Hide & Leather Council (SHALC) (08), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (12), Stahl (OFC).
In The Next Issue
- Can the leather industry do more to help the recovery of local footwear and leather goods manufacturing?
- Out on February 02.
- Bangladesh – The responsibility of potential
Deborah Taylor, MD of the Sustainable Leather Foundation, took part in a Bangladesh International Investment Summit in November. Here she writes about the summit and visits to tanneries and leather goods and footwear manufacturers. ...moreMobile weed killer for tree nurseries
Fraunhofer researchers have collaborated with partners to develop a platform to remove weeds fully automatically. The mobile AMU-Bot robot system navigates using optical sensors and removes weeds mechanically without the need for chemicals. ...moreA mighty oak has fallen - Obituary: Pieter Yzelle, KKI and SCOT (29/09/1949-11/11/2021)
Mossel Bay, W. Cape, SA - We pay tribute to a legend in the ostrich industry and the ‘father’ of the SCOT tannery, Pieter Yzelle, who sadly passed away on 11 November 2021. The tannery is a monument to Pieter’s technical and managerial ability as well as his tenacity to reach his goals. ...moreMaking fly-leatherThe product called E-Leather by the company that makes it (it stands for 'leather evolved' or 'engineered leather' - really?) or Fly Leather by Nike, is one of the synthetic products which incorporates leather waste. But the claim that it is therefore more environmentally acceptable than leather doesn't hold up. ...moreReport predicting 'steady growth' for auto leather is wrong, say local firmsSouth Africa's 2 automotive leather tanneries have reacted with scepticism to a report by Market Growth Reports which paints a picture of 'steady growth' for automotive leather globally over the next 5 years. ...moreFish skin leather project proposed to aid W. Cape joblessFinanced by its social impact programme, Stellenbosch University is investigating a fish skin tanning project to assist jobless people in nearby coastal communities. ...moreRevomec is platinum sponsor of the III Eurocongress IULTCS 2022Milling drum manufacturer Revomec is the platinum sponsor company of the III IULTCS EuroCongress Vicenza 2022, to be held from 18-20 September 2022. ...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 ...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 ...moreDuty evasion, false country of origin and labelling main targets: NCC and SARS ‘sign MoU to strengthen compliance’Media statement issued jointly by the National Consumer Commission (NCC) and SA Revenue Service (SARS)Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (06 May 2026) – The National Consumer Commission (NCC) and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance consumer protection against the proliferation of ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Mobilising Africa’s human resource to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain
In last month’s edition I wrote about mobilising Africa’s livestock to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain, and this article is focussed on mobilising the human resource that is needed to make the most of the abundant livestock populations in the region.On Friday 12th June, newly organised SARLEN (Southern African Re ...moreSARLEN – the journey so far
SARLEN was guided by a model policy framework for the leather value chain, adopted by all member states in 2023. It was supported by Deutsche Zusammenarbeit (German Cooperation), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), with the SADC Secretariat as the principal sponsor.The building blocks are ass ...more‘ESG is a global requirement’
Deborah Taylor, Sustainable Leather FoundationShe spoke about the SLF’s role in supporting harmonisation and minimising duplication of effort across the leather value chain, its education and training, development of robust and credible standards, and advocacy of the leather industry.She quoted the first definition of sustainability ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Protecting the workforce: The critical role of PPE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is utilised in a work-environment as part of a larger prevention plan, because on its own protection is limited and may even provide a false sense of protection.An occupational disease prevention plan must be an actionable approach that identifies workplace health hazards, evaluates exposure, and i ...moreChina-made firefighting equipment now needs verification of conformity with SANS standardsPretoria, Gauteng, SA – Firefighting equipment is among the 25 product categories published on 01 April by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition for a mandatory Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) Programme.The system will require certain goods shipped from China to be tested and certified before they enter the ...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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