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 2023The 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 regionOn 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 differenceHastings, 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 IULTCSI 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 industryCreating 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 ...more
Footwear Industry Articles
- Duty 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 ...moreA 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 ...moreJulz Shoes launches men’s rangeSneaker 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 ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- SARLEN – the journey so farSARLEN 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 ...moreDavid Buirski retires (but we’re sure to hear more from him)David Buirski, the former South African who edited World Leather from 1993 to 2005, and who continued his involvement with the publication and its offshoots until recently, has finally retired because “having turned 90 last December, I guess it was the sensible thing to do. Thirty-three years could be considered a long time.&rd ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': Congratulations!Congratulations and compliments to UNIC and COTANCE for the huge job they have done together with LCHA, AHSLEA, Beef & Lamb New Zealand, TDSD, CICB, ALLPI, ICT, ICHSLTA, ICEC and SLF as well as many others by convincing the EU to scrap bovine hides from the EUDR directive. A long and tiring process which has cost them lots of time and ...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. ...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 ...moreStatistical shape modelling for population-specific respirator design: Addressing fit failure in South African populationsRespirators are widely regarded as the last line of defence against hazardous airborne exposures. Whether protecting healthcare workers from tuberculosis, laboratory personnel from infectious samples, or workers exposed to carcinogenic dusts and fumes, respirators are often relied upon when other controls cannot eliminate exposure. This r ...more
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