S&V African Leather Magazine Vol17 No10 October 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 An Eclectic View
- Social management – changing trends in staffing, H. Procter.
08 Sustainable Leather Foundation
- Closure of Pittards and threatened closure of Institute for Creative Leather Technologies made it a turbulent month for the leather industry, writes Sustainable Leather Foundation MD Deborah Taylor.
- SLF MD admitted to the Worshipful Company of Curriers.
18 Simac/Tanning Tech
- Alpespak: New splitting concept ‘improves productivity and safety’.
- Cape Karoo International: ‘The search is on for real sustainability,’ writes Charl du Pisani.
- Kymera: ‘Virtual tannery’ for remote maintenance.
- NTE: Overall picture is of gradual improvement.
- Spraytech: ‘Looking to relight the flame of interest in SA.’
- TST: Of robots and precision, writes Arné Husselmann.
17 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
18 Agriculture
- Government ‘welcomes the agricultural sector’s continued contribution to the country’s economy’.
19 Animal Welfare
- NSPCA ‘celebrates major victory to SA’s lions’.
20 Cosmetics
- IFRA and Cosmetics Europe welcome European Parliament’s support for the CLP revision.
18 Trade Statistics
- SA hides, skins and leather trade statistics for August 2023, issued by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
APLF (03), Authenticae (ofc), Evolution Engineering (01), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (05), Mimosa (07), Rolfes Leather Division (09), S&V Calendar (11), S&V Directory (21), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (18), Sustainable Leather Foundation (02), TFL (13, 14, 15, 16).
The Next Issue
- The October issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 10 November. The deadline for contributions is 31 October.
- An Eclectic View: Social management
Major trends include smaller numbers of more skilled staff, or shifting staff to new areas of income generation. ...moreSLF Managing Director Admitted to the Worshipful Company of Curriers!
On Friday 22 September 2023, I was admitted as a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Curriers. The admittance took place at Tallow Chandlers Hall and was followed by a Michaelmas Court Dinner, where I also delivered the after dinner address.The Curriers’ Company is one of the oldest livery companies, first established as a trade or ...moreA turbulent month for the Leather Industry
A busy and turbulent month for the leather industry, particularly in the UK, as we saw one of our oldest tanneries, Pittards, head into administration, resulting in the loss of 150 jobs in the UK and 850 jobs in Ethiopia. That news was followed just a week later with a letter from the Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton to in ...moreALPESPAK: New splitting concept ‘improves productivity and safety’
ALPESPAK, part of the Alpe Group, which specialises in splitting and shaving machines, was promoting its “revolutionary new concept” for splitting green hides, leather in the lime, or wet blue hides.“The Predator was first shown 2 years ago,” said commercial sales manager Paolo Matelli. “What we’re show ...moreKymera: ‘Virtual Tannery’ for remote maintenance
Kymera Group, which specialises in spares, consumables, and services, demonstrated its ‘Virtual Tannery’, a communication system which allows remote technical advice for machinery servicing and repairs. “This isn’t new technology,” said director Alexia Fisc ...moreSpraytech: ‘Looking to relight the flame of interest in SA’
In SA, Spraytech has concentrated on installing new technology – spray guns and economisers – on existing spray lines, sales manager Cristiano Dalla Valle said.“We’ve been developing low pressure systems, which first and foremost reduce wastage, and which also reduce maintenance,” he said. “Over the pas ...moreTST: Of robots and precision
African Leather: What is interesting about the Barnini spray arm?The Barnini Robot system is the first multi-patented leather loading system in the world, that is capable of automatically loading leather from a stand, platform or chain.The robot system is also capable of finishing panels or whole skins, simulating production systems ...moreNSPCA ‘celebrates major victory for SA’s lions’
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (14 September 2023) – The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) celebrates a major victory for lions in the country’s first successful case against the cruel, negligent confinement of these wild animals. Captive lions never get to experience the freedom inherent to wild animals. This judgement c ...moreIFRA and Cosmetics Europe welcome European Parliament’s support for the CLP revision
Cosmetics are chemical based, so the industry faces similar challenges to the leather industry. ...moreTrade Fairs: Sam Setter's 'Pills' - For readers who need some wry medicinal humourRecently we enjoyed two major leather industry exhibition events. Talking to stakeholders I was told that the non-Chinese exhibition halls in ACLE Shanghai were significantly reduced in surface area with fewer overseas exhibitors, but with a particularly great interest in sustainable chemicals by Chinese tanneries. Machine manufacturers f ...moreCape Karoo International: The search is on for real sustainabilityAfrican Leather: Was CKI looking for anything specific, and if so, what were you looking for?CKI combined Tanning Tech with a visit to Sante Croce suppliers and tanneries to determine what technologies and practices are available to improve finishing techniques.African Leather: Were there any developments which caught your attention, what ...moreNTE: Overall picture is of gradual improvementTanning Tech 2023 proved a busy time for the NTE Team exhibiting, especially on the first 2 days with day 3 as expected being less busy with only a few visitors on the stand. The visits were mainly from agents and customers where in depth discussions were held on market conditions and the current challenges facing the demand and supply of ...moreGovernment ‘welcomes the agricultural sector’s continued contribution to the country’s economy’Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (08 September 2023) – The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Thoko Didiza, has welcomed the latest figures released by Statistics South Africa on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2023, showing that the agricultural sector was once again one of the biggest contr ...moreSA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for August 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (29 September 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (186 460 568)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.94Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (54 959 241)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.87ExportsMonth % of total 0.21Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 2 616&nbs ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- The striking difference between the top brands here and in the USThe Comrades shoe count held no surprises as it is almost identical to the Two Oceans count earlier this year.However, the major point of interest is comparing the market shares of the running shoes brands in South Africa and the USA.Recently released figures from a leading franchise group of 300 specialist running shops in the USA indica ...more40 000 retail doors could close by 2029, but footwear stores could hold their ownAgainst a backdrop of store closings, shoe retailers UBS analyst Michael Lasser favours include On Holding, Deckers, Dick's and Academy Sports. ...moreHail-fellow, well-met, in a genuine way - Obituary: Denis Manning – Kronies Footwear, Trenzado Footwear (29/03/1954-18/03/2025)
Sadly, Denis Manning passed away on Tuesday, 18 March after a battle with cancer, 11 days before his 71st birthday.Denis arrived in South Africa with his wife, Jane, in March 1976 and settled in Pinetown. He joined Kronies as a trainee factory manager and worked there for many years, firstly with Hans Krohn and Doug Roberts and then ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Country hides and skins: Changed markets for a forgotten source
Changes in the global leather market have impacted most on the bottom rung of the leather value chain – ‘country’ hides and skins. This was starkly illustrated when S&V African Leather received a call from someone in the Eastern Cape who had previously made a living collecting them for sale to agents acting on behalf of hide and skin collectors. The agents were still there, he said, but they weren’t interested in buying what he had to offer. Where should he look?rnrn A call to trader Gareth Diesel in East London, who works for and with Elliott Brothers and its subsidiary, East London Abattoir, confirmed that market had died in the province.rnrn He suggested we ask Greg Feinberg, MD of SA’s biggest hide and skin trader, pickler and wet blue tannery, Cape Produce Company, for ‘the bigger picture’. ...moreRwanda plans tannery parkKigali, Rwanda – According to an article in The New Times on 08 April, Rwanda is to establish a tannery park, including a centralised effluent treatment plant, to service more than 1 tannery.The planned tannery park is to be in the Bugesera Industrial Zone, about 50 kilometres from Kigali.The Times reported that the Leather Value Ch ...moreACLE, new Moda China, UITIC – Shanghai gearing up for major event
‘China taking advantage of rock bottom hide prices’rnDuties on U.S. hides – opportunities for other countries? ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- 7 strategies to create more resilient mine dewatering
Dewatering is a crucial operation in mining. Chetan Mistry, Strategy and Marketing Manager at Xylem Africa, advises how to approach mine dewatering with these 7 strategies. As recent events at a Namibian mine demonstrate, dewatering is a critical linchpin for mining operations. ...moreSwitch to updated standard: Footwear suppliers given time limit to run out old stockPretoria, Gauteng, SA – Safety footwear suppliers have until April 2026 to sell stock made to the 2014 edition of SA National Standard (SANS) 20345.The National Regulator for Compulsory Standards (NRCS) confirmed this at a stakeholder meeting on 11 March.The SA National Standard (SANS) for safety footwear in South Africa was upgrade ...moreSGS to host 'Discovering PPE softlines solutions’ on 27 MarchGeneva, Switzerland – Testing, inspection and certification company SGS is hosting a complimentary webinar, ‘Discovering PPE softlines solutions’, on 27 March 2025.The global market for personal protective equipment (PPE) is expanding, but it is also becoming more regulated. Businesses looking to ensure product complianc ...more
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