S&V African Leather Magazine Vol16 No1 January 2022
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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 potentialDeborah 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 nurseriesFraunhofer 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. ...more
Footwear Industry Articles
- A 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 ...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 ...moreRetail: ‘If you can’t make what’s needed, retail can’t sell what you make’“I have had a consistent message for manufacturers from when the Masterplan started,” said Michael Lawrence, executive director of the National Clothing Retail Federation (NCRF). “Bring us what can sell to consumers, and we’ll buy it. There are some caveats, of course, around issues like value, design, branding, su ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- ‘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 ...moreMobilising Africa’s human resource to reinvigorate the regional leather value chainIn 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 ...moreAfrican leather businesses holding LWG and SLF ratingsAs African leather manufacturers strive to grow their exports, the number which have qualified for ratings by the Leather Working Group (LWG) and the Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) is growing.By country, LWG lists the following:Algeria: Sarl Tannerie Ain FakrounBurkina Faso: Mona Industry SARL.Egypt: El Montaza Tannery, Piel Color C ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Premier Workwear: Engineered protection for Africa’s industrial workforceIn 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 ...moreRealPPE 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. ...moreMaking fall protection practicalWorking at height is, by its nature, potentially dangerous. But only potentially. Properly planned and executed, working at height is safe. However, accidents and injuries are common.Part of the problem is that many – most – businesses do fall protection plans as tick box exercises. Industry can help by planning correctly, whi ...more
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