S&V African Leather Magazine Vol17 No9 September 2023
This Magazine is sponsored by SAFLIA
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IN THIS ISSUE:
02 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- Hides & Skins: There are challenges everywhere, writes Cape Product Company director Greg Feinberg.
- Exotics – ostrich leather: Strong demand continues, writes Cape Karoo International MD Francois de Wet.
- Exotics – reptilian leather: Relief as California doesn’t appeal judgement overturning its crocodilian leather trade ban, say American Tanning & Leather director Christy Plott and Le Croc MD Stefan van As.
- Sheepskins: Concentrating on the local market – for now, writes African Merino director Simo Simov.
08 An Eclectic View
- Composting standards a review by H. Procter.
14 Decoding Tanning Science
- Short-term preservation of hides using wheat bran: Review of a paper by Dr Clive Jackson-Moss.
16 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
17 Sustainable Leather Foundation
- Sustainable Leather Foundation MD Deborah Taylor writes about audits and workshops in Namibia and Tanzania.
18 Fairs & Events
- IULTCS Congress: Virtual portal cancelled, writes IUL chairman Julian Osgood.
18 Trade Statistics
- SA hides, skins and leather trade statistics for July 2023, issued by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (03), Evolution Engineering (01), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (03), Mimosa (05), Rolfes Leather Division (07), S&V Calendar (06), S&V Directory (09), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (15), Stahl (OFC), Sustainable Leather Foundation (02), TFL (10, 11, 12, 13).
The Next Issue
- The August issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 06 October. The deadline for contributions is 29 September.
- Exotics: Ostrich leather - Strong demand continues
Mossel Bay, W. Cape, SA – Overall, we are very satisfied with the situation where ostrich leather is today. Overall demand globally is fairly strong, and at fair prices.There is quite a strong demand, especially from fashion houses in Europe and specifically the top end fashion houses. This demand didn’t go down during good co ...moreAn Eclectic View: Composting standards
BS EN 14995 and BS EN 13432 are the specifications in the UK/EU for compostability of plastics and packaging, respectively. Several test houses have published modifications to them to make them more accurate for a wider range of materials.Composting is the controlled aerobic breakdown of material. Materials capable of disintegration are p ...moreDecoding Tanning Science: Short – term preservation of hides using wheat bran
IntroductionIn order to prevent hides from rotting between the time the animal is slaughtered and the time the hide is processed in the tannery, they need to undergo some form of preservation. The most commonly used form of preservation is salting, which dehydrates the hide and thus prevents bacterial growth. It is estimated that at least ...moreHides & Skins: There are challenges everywhere
Hides: markets remain extremely challenging. Whilst better quality hides can be moved, pricing is a concern, specifically on the low end with South American material moving at prices well below cost.Merinos: The garment market is under severe pressure due to the situation in Russia/Ukraine (the traditional home for this material); whilst ...moreBrands: Sam Setter's 'Pills' - For readers who need some wry medicinal humourWhen you read the ‘big’ leather magazines and the position of the major leather industry auditing company, they all heavily focus on ‘the brands’, who by now have become the centre of their interest as if they are the most precious and important industrial entities in the world. In reality these brands are moneymak ...moreExotics: Reptilian leather Relief as California doesn’t appeal judgement overturning its crocodilian leather trade banLegal battles can be very drawn-out affairs, so the reptile exotic leather lobby globally is very relieved that a landmark victory in March this year in California, in a case between the states of Louisiana and California, “is all wrapped up and done, and there are NO APPEALS IN COURT! 🎉”, wrote Christy Plott, director of A ...moreSheepskins: Concentrating on local market – for nowBronkhorstspruit, Mpumalanga, SA – African Merino is affected by the problem in Ukraine, of course, as is every other business and person on the planet.We have not exported skins for many years and have shrunk to the size of a small business with annual production of less than 15 000 skins and staff less than 10 people.We lost our e ...moreCancellation of virtual portal in 2023 IULTCS CongressWe have received the following communication from the organizers of the forthcoming IULTCS Congress in Chengdu.The Organizing Committee of the 37th International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS) Congress is announcing, with sincere consideration, the cancellation of the virtual portal of the IULTCS Congress i ...moreSA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for July 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (31 August 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (131 497 293)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.95Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (30 425 744)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.92ExportsMonth % of total 0.20Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 2 303 0 ...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 ...moreThe Chinese sports brand taking on Nike and Adidas
Chinese sportswear brand Anta counts Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu among its brand ambassadorsChina's economy was just starting to open up in the late 1980s when a determined high school dropout made his way to Beijing with 600 pairs of shoes.Ding Shizhong had them made in a relative's factory and now he was going to sell them. The mo ...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 natural livestock resource to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain
Africa possesses one of the world’s largest livestock populations, yet the continent captures only a fraction of the value generated from leather and leather-based products. From cattle in the East and South Africa, to goats and sheep across North Africa, the continent’s abundant livestock resource represents not only a source ...moreSARLEN aims for business and regulatory advocacy for the leather value chain across SADC
The formation of the Southern African Regional Leather Network (SARLEN) is a process to formalise a voice for commercial, entrepreneurial and developmental associations in the leather value chain (LVC) for the region.The leather value chain has been recognised in SADC as a key entrepreneurial opportunity that can adjust to the scale of th ...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 ...moreProactive or reactive? The importance of choosing the correct hand protection
Our aim is to deliver value to the user experience by ensuring optimal protection, compliance, and operational confidence in every task performed.Hand protection has evolved significantly in response to the critical need to reduce workplace injuries and strengthen safety performance across diverse industries.Modern advancements in materia ...moreThe PPE Conference – PPE isn’t optional, it’s essential: A review
Leighton Bennett, the Safety First Association chairperson and a SHE and risk management consultantThe hosts of this first PPE Conference held in South Africa, were the Safety First Association and SAPEMA, on the 10 and 11 March 2026, at the Emperor’s Palace, in Kempton Park.This conference objectives were to provide a unique opport ...more
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