S&V African Leather Magazine Vol17 No8 August 2023
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IN THIS ISSUE:
02 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- Gloving: Pittards under administration and looking for buyer – UK-based business includes Ethiopian tannery and leather goods manufacturing plant.
- Footwear & Leather Goods: The orders have come in; payments are still something of a problem, writes Fusion Leather World’s Denzil Spolander.
- Footwear & Leather Goods: Exchange rate has made imports very difficult, writes Alan D. Jackson’s Morgan Naidoo.
- Ostrich: Leather and feathers performing well, but raw meat export ban still a dark cloud, says SAOBC’s Piet Kleyn.
- SLTC UK: The parent body responds to a report by the SA Section and encourages local members to engage with it.
08 An Eclectic View
- Meat 2023 update – Regenerative farming practices are an exciting development for the future, writes H. Procter.
15 Sustainable Leather Foundation
- Budget now for improvement – legislation is coming, writes Sustainable Leather Foundation MD Deborah Taylor.
16 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
17 Fairs & Events
- IULTCS Congress: Travel advice for anyone attending, by IUL chairman Julian Osgood.
- IULTCS Congress: Professor Yujia Xu named as Heidemann lecture presenter, by IUL chairman Julian Osgood.
18 Trade Statistics
- SA hides, skins and leather trade statistics for June 2023, issued by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (03), Evolution Engineering (01), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (05), Mimosa (07), Rolfes Leather Division (09), S&V Calendar (10), S&V Directory (18), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (15), Stahl (OFC), Sustainable Leather Foundation (02), TFL (11, 12, 13, 14).
The Next Issue
- The August issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 08 September. The deadline for contributions is 01 September.
- Gloving: Pittards under administration, seeks buyer
Main tannery, leather goods factory in EthiopiaYeovil, Somerset, UK – Vertically integrated leather and leather goods manufacturer Pittards, which has operations in the UK and Ethiopia, has “filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators” according to a report on the BBC on 14 August.It said Pittards was seeking a ...moreLeather and feathers performing well, but raw meat export ban still a dark cloud
Oudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA – The link between farm and tannery seems much closer in SA’s ostrich industry than it does with bovine leather, so SA Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) CEO Piet Kleyn was speaking from the heart when he said this month that “the best news we have is that we’ve had some wonderful rain in the ...moreAn Eclectic View: Meat – 2023 update
Regenerative farming practices are an exciting development for the future. Global food was a $1.98 trillion business in the last year, according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). Humans spend a lot of money on it and will continue to do so for obvious reasons. ...moreHeidemann lecture presenter named
The XXXVII IULTCS Congress Organizing Committee is extremely pleased to announce that Professor Yujia Xu will be the Heidemann Lecture Presenter at the XXXVII IULTCS Congress.The Heidemann Lecture is a keynote presentation that is held in memory of Professor Dr. Eckhardt Heidemann (1925-1999). He made significant practical contributions t ...moreSustainability: Sam Setter's 'Pills' - For readers who need some wry medicinal humourLet me stick to the subject of sustainability, which by now is the magic word in every industry. So, everything that you produce must be ‘sustainable’, whatever that means, otherwise the big brands and distribution chains, famous shops, etc., will not buy your products anymore. Since sustainability is interpreted as an environ ...moreFusion: The orders have come in; payments are still something of a problemCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Overall we’re not unhappy. June and July were quiet, but the orders have since come in. We’re not at capacity, but we will be working a 6-day week until the end of the year.The school shoe market is good, fashion is more variable, but quite good.There is still the age-old problem of payments &nda ...moreAlan D. Jackson: Exchange rate has made imports very difficultDurban, KZN, SA – It’s a difficult position to be in selling imported leathers now as the landed prices from overseas are really expensive compared to local prices. The exchange rate is not helping at all.Clients are also struggling in getting orders from retailers who are always looking for cheaper prices.Basically, it's a st ...moreSociety of Leather Technologists and Chemists (SLTC): Update from parent bodyIn response to the report in the July issue on the SA Section of the SLTC, the parent body encourages southern African members to continue engaging with the society, and outlines changes which will make it easier to do so. ...moreSustainable Leather Foundation: Budget now for improvement – legislation is comingAs most of mainland Europe begin their summer break, it is usually around this time of year that we can take stock, catch up on those administrative tasks and plan for the rest of the year. Well, perhaps it is a sign of our fast-changing industry landscape, that means this year we are still moving at full speed just to stay on top of the ...moreTravel advice for anyone attending IULTCS CongressThe XXXVII IULTCS Congress in Chengdu, China, from 17 to 20 October 2023 (https://iultcs.org/events/future/) is fast approaching, and the committee members are aware than many people will be considering if they will be attending this important event. There is no doubt that the event will be very rewarding to anyone who can participate at ...moreSA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for June 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (31 July 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (101 582 416)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.95Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (41 799 770)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.89ExportsMonth % of total 0.21Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 1 964&nbs ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Palm Footwear: ‘One family’Palm Footwear was founded in July 1966 by Kasie Pattundeen, with 18 staff, making slippers.60 years later, with over 800 staff, it is among the biggest employers in the SA footwear industry and among the biggest manufacturers by volume.It remains a family business, headed by Rajeev and Kiran Pattundeen, with their children, Srishti and Rt ...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 ...moreSAFLEC AGM 2026: A year marked by resilience
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is my pleasure to welcome all our members and stakeholders to the 24th Annual General Meeting of the South African Leather & Footwear Export Council (SAFLEC).The Annual General Meeting provides us with an opportunity not only to reflect on the performance of the Council over the past financial y ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- The leather value chain offers opportunities for all SADC countriesThe Southern African Regional Leather Network (SARLEN) and the SADC Leather Forum present a great opportunity for the development of the leather value chains (LVCs) in all or most SADC states, whose LVCs are at different stages of development.in Zimbabwe we already have a well-structured LVC coordinated by an apex body, the Zimbabwe Leath ...moreWhen communication moves faster than truth: Why credible, evidence-based information matters more than ever.We have never had more information at our fingertips. We have also never had to work quite so hard to determine which information we should trust. Communication today moves at extraordinary speed. Social media platforms, digital news, corporate communications, industry reports and, increasingly, artificial intelligence allow information t ...moreLuxury or notWe hear from all sides that the leather industry is not doing too well and the conflict in the Middle East is definitely not improving the situation. The present wars have a huge impact on inflation and hence on the buying power of consumers with negative consequences for the luxury industry whose shares we have seen tumbling at the vario ...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. ...morePremier Workwear: Engineered protection for Africa’s industrial workforce
In 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 ...moreIndoor air quality monitoring: protecting people, processes, and productivity in South Africa
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is becoming an increasingly important topic across South Africa as industries place greater focus on occupational safety, environmental controls, and operational reliability. While air quality concerns were once mainly associated with mining, heavy industry, or healthcare environments, businesses across multiple s ...more
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