S&V African Leather Magazine Vol17 No5 May 2023
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Upfront
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
05 An Eclectic View
- Chromium VI update 2023. The tanning industry, especially in Europe, needs to fight a political battle if it is to remain viable, writes H. Procter.
08 Sustainability
- Sustainable Leather Foundation awarded contract from Joint Action SIPS to support improvement and development in the SADC region, writes MD Deborah Taylor
10 New Products
- MK Quimica’s Bioderm MK ALV: A safe replacement for sodium chlorite.
12 Occupational Health & Safety
- UNIDO safety course for leather industry.
13 Notice Board
- Kenya appoints board for KLDC ‘to steer economic transformation agenda’.
- Obituary: Shelagh Davy, veteran editor who made a difference.
- George Kotze appointed COO of Reho Meat Processors.
- Julian Osgood takes over as communication head for IULTCS.
15 Exotics
- Croc farm cruelty case to go ahead: SACIA says law must follow its course.
16 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
17 Trade Statistics
- SA hides, skins and leather trade statistics for March 2023, issued by SARS
Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (02), Cape Karoo International (04), Evolution Engineering (01), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (11), Mimosa (09), Rolfes Leather Division (07), S&V Calendar (14), S&V Directory (10), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (06), Stahl (OFC), Sustainable Leather Foundation (03).
The Next Issue
- The May issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 07 June. The deadline for contributions is 31 May.
- CHROMIUM VI UPDATE 2023
The tanning industry, especially in Europe, needs to fight a political battle if it is to remain viableBy H. ProcterThe industry finds itself in a situation that it has never seen before. The science surrounding the future use of chromium salts seems to be irrelevant. At the moment, the science assessed by the European Chemical Associatio ...moreSustainable Leather Foundation awarded contract from Joint Action SIPS to support improvement and development in the SADC region
On 26 April the Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) announced the successful completion of a tender process with the Joint Action Support towards Industrialization and the Productive Sectors in the SADC region (SIPS) project to support sustainable and environmental compliance for the leather value chain in the Southern African Developmen ...moreObituary: Shelagh Davy - Veteran editor who made a difference
Hastings, East Sussex, UK – Retired former editor of Leather International, Shelagh Davy, died on 17 April, aged 79.In an obituary in International Leather Maker, Martin Ricker, her successor at LI, now content director at ILM, wrote: “I succeeded Shelagh Davy as Editor of Leather International in 2009 after working for her on ...moreChange at IULTCS
I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of a recent change at IULTCS. The International Union of Liaison and Communication Commission (IUL) Chairman, Dr Christine Anscombe, after many years of dedicated service to the Society, has decided to take a step back from the role. The IULTCS committee has appointed me, Julian Osgood, ...moreUNIDO safety course for leather industry
Creating safe and sustainable supply chains for leather workers: UNIDO launches new Occupational Safety and Health course targeting the leather manufacturing sector. Acting together to build a positive safety and health culture – a safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work. ...moreMK Quimica: Bioderm MK ALV - Safe replacement for sodium chloriteBoksburg, Gauteng, SA - Bioderm MK ALV, made by MK Quimica in Brazil and represented in SA by Rolfes Chemicals, provides cleaner, more bluish and equalized leathers, improving the appearance of the leather surface, and is the best technological alternative to replace the use of sodium chlorite in tanneries. Why replace sodium chlorite? Pr ...moreKenya appoints board for KLDC ‘to steer economic transformation agenda’Nairobi, Kenya – The Kenyan Government has appointed a new board of directors for the Kenya Leather Development Council (KLDC) for a 3-year period.In a release on its website, the KLDC said Capt. Mohamed Abdikadir Adan is the chairperson with effect from 05 April, 2023.“Capt. Adan and his new team will steer the Council, in re ...moreSACIA says law must follow its course - Croc farm cruelty case to go aheadThe National Council of Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) is pursuing its case against a Limpopo-based crocodile farm for cruelty to animals.The case dates back to 2021, when the NSPCA “received reports of severe animal cruelty” at the farm.NSPCA inspectors “found carcasses of juvenile crocodiles ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Obituary: Vic Jablowski, BUSM, Protech V (03/09/1953-11/12/2025): One of those who survived BU’s closure
Durban, KZN, SA – My dad – was AMAZING.Born in 1953, he married Evelyn in 1979. My sister, Luanne Hough, was born in 1980, and I followed in 1983.A family man who made sure he supported his family in the most wonderful ways; he was also a loyal company man who worked most of his life for British United Shoe Machinery.But when ...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 ...moreVermont sale completedJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA – After 39 years, former owner Mandy Owen has sold her shares in Vermont Leathercraft Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd to Creek Lab (Pty) Ltd, and officially handed over the business to Prashant Bhaga.In a message on LinkedIn, she wrote: “I would like to thank my husband, Graham, for his invaluable contributio ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- LEATHER’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 ...moreFMD: 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 ...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 PPE
The 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 ...moreThe legal ramifications: PPE and the law: Ignore at your peril?
There’s no shortage of legislation covering employee safety in South Africa, but as in so much else, the enforcement is poor.In terms of our laws, the death of an employee (or anyone else) in a work situation, caused by negligence, is treated as culpable homicide. An injury caused by negligence is also a criminal act – that, b ...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 ...more
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