S&V African Leather Magazine Vol17 No11 November 2023
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IN THIS ISSUE:
02 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- Wet blue: Brits Leathers contract tanning only, says Willem Ebersohn.
- Footwear upper leathers: Loss of a wet blue supplier a concern, but Fusion ‘cautiously optimistic’, says Denzil Spolander.
- Crocodile: A lesson from the lower end – when standards go up, they become entrenched, but prices don’t necessarily follow, says Le Croc’s Stefan van As.
- Game skins: Navigating the complex non-trade aspects of the CITES trade convention, says SATTA’s Pieter Swart.
- Game skins: Legacy Exotic Leather plans small plant for top quality, says Johnny Kleynhans, who also comments on ‘problem animal’ control.
10 An Eclectic View
- Powered by the Sun: Solar power can address both sustainability issues and SA’s electricity problems, by H. Procter.
14 Decoding Tanning Science
- The effect of calcium concentration in delimed hides on the efficiency of bating, by the ISTT’s Dr Clive Jackson-Moss.
16 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
17 Notice Board
- Geoff Holmes is the new vice president of the IULTCS..
18 Trade Statistics
- SA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for September 2023, issued by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
APLF (03), Authenticae (05), Cape Karoo International (07), Evolution Engineering (01), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (09), Mimosa (11), Rolfes Leather Division (13), S&V Calendar (08), S&V Directory (17), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (14), Stahl (OFC), Sustainable Leather Foundation (02).
The Next Issue
- The January issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 10 January. The deadline for contributions is 05 January.
- Game Skins: CITES: Navigating the complex non-trade aspects of a trade convention
Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – At the time of writing last week, the Sustainable Use Coalition (SUCo-SA) team was in Geneva, Switzerland, to attend the 77th CITES Standing Committee (SC 77) from 06-10 November.The Standing Committee provides policy guidance to the CITES Secretariat concerning the implementation of the Convention. It coordi ...morePOWERED BY THE SUN
Sustainability is a key requirement for tanneries with international customers. Conventional electricity supply in SA is a problem. 2 needs which can be met by the same technology ...moreThe effect of calcium concentration in delimed hides on the efficiency of bating
This is part of a series contributed by the International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) in Grahamstown, E. Cape, SA, summarising complicated research papers into short articles more readily comprehensible to a wider audience.rnrnPart 1. Preparation of delimed hides with different residual concentrations ...moreNew IULTCS vice president
Northampton, UK (06 November 2023) – Geoff Holmes has been elected as the vice president of the International Union of Leather Technologists & Chemists (IULTCS) with effect from January 2024.He has a long history in the leather industry, having studied Leather Technology at the Leathersellers College at the University of Northam ...moreCOP28 & Trade Fairs: Sam Setter's 'Pills' - For readers who need some wry medicinal humourOn 30 November in Dubai the UN will hold for almost 2 weeks the next Conference Of Parties, better known as COP 28, to discuss global warming and climate change. I wonder how many private planes with a handful of passengers will land in Dubai, like the Secretary General of the UN, like Ursula von der Leyen, and all those heads of states o ...moreWet Blue: Contract tanning onlyBrits, N.W. Province, SA – At Brits Leathers and Rosslyn Tannery, our wet blue plants, we are currently only doing contract tanning for the automotive industry.At OR Leathers, our finishing plant, we are currently only doing contract tanning to crust, and we are not supplying local footwear manufacturers with finished leather. ...moreFootwear upper leathers: Loss of a wet blue supplier a concern, but cautiously optimisticCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Fusion is cautiously optimistic for H1/24 with a reasonable order book and some really interesting new developments and opportunities on the local and export markets. Everything depends on SA retailers and their willingness to support the domestic market and the currency valuation and stability for exports.T ...moreCrocodile: A lesson from the lower end: When standards go up, they become entrenched, but prices don’t necessarily followMogwase, N.W. Province, SA – At a macro level, China has slowed, the USA appears to be going through headwinds, and Europe is quiet. There is less concern about the effects of the Ukraine war, but Gaza is an issue. Wars affect the travel industry, which is an important market for luxury brands.In China, which was a secondary market ...moreLegacy Exotic Leather plans small plant for top qualityBulawayo, Zimbabwe – I would like to advise that I am establishing a new consultancy company with effect from January 2024.Legacy Exotic Leather Specialists (Pvt) Ltd will operate from Bulawayo. The initial focus will be on offering technical consultancy to local companies involved in processing exotic leathers, especially elephant ...moreProblem animal control: Sometimes there are simple solutions, but which one is the problem animal?Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – There is an increase in human/animal conflict as seen recently. Rural small-scale farmers traditionally plant maize this time of year, which unfortunately attracts animals, elephants being the main intruders.Natural game corridors have been encroached by these subsistence farmers, which inevitably results in &ls ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Nike claims ‘mental benefits’ from new styles, observers take wait-and-see approach
Nike makes big technical claims for a category of non-sport footwear (their description: pre-game and post-game) launched in January.Certainly not the first footwear to incorporate underfoot pressure points, ‘Nike Mind Technology’ is 2 shoes – a mule and a sneaker (in different colour options) – which Nike says lit ...moreKen Riches: Reflections on an extraordinary life: Those who can, do – those who can do it even better, teach
It’s been 18 years this month since Ken Riches died. Here is a glimpse into what lay under that fairly protective exterior.Ken Riches, one of our country’s true footwear experts, passed peacefully on to that final production line in the sky on 11 August 2008. He had lived through the rapidly changing times from just after the ...moreWayne's Phambili range: Practical boots from non-safety to full protection
Roodepoort, Gauteng, SA – Wayne's Phambili range combines everyday comfort, dependable durability and clearly defined levels of protection in a practical range of PVC work boots. Developed for demanding working environments, the 3-boot lineup makes it easy to choose the protection best suited to the job while delivering the comfort ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Organic cotton at the crossroads: Ideology, evidence, and the road ahead
Washington, DC, U.S.A. (23 June 2026) — Organic cotton occupies one of the most contentious spaces in global agriculture. While praised by brands and consumers for its environmental ideals, it also faces persistent questions about yield stability, certification integrity, and scalability. The current edition of The ICAC Recorde ...moreISTT offers free entry level leather course to encourage trainingGrahamstown, E. Cape, SA – The International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) is offering one of its short online courses, Introduction to the Leather Industry, for free.The course is suitable for entry level tannery staff.It is also suitable for anyone in footwear, leather goods, furniture and upholstery manufacturing, retailing ...moreSADC Leather Forum unites 16 member states to strengthen the regional leather industry
The Southern African Development Community’s Regional Leather Forum met in Durban, South Africa, in August. Nerisha Jairaj and Jacob Nyathi explain different aspects. ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Occupational noise-induced hearing loss ‘is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world’
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is the most prevalent occupational disease in the world*. 16% of all disabling hearing loss in adults is due to noise exposure.It’s also expensive. According to one study, it costs US$242 million in annual compensation in the USA. In the UK, the typical cost per claim in the is £ ...moreMore precise fire extinguishing from the air using simulation and sensor data
Wildfires are becoming more frequent and more intense worldwide. Fires often become infernos due to heat, drought and wind, especially in the summer. The problem is compounded by the climate crisis. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM and the startup CAURUS Technologies GmbH are responding to this growi ...moreNew OHS regulations coming into force later this year mean PPE needs to be reviewed, too
In March 2025, the Physical Agents Regulations (and their guidelines) and the Noise Exposure Regulations (and their guidelines) of the OHSAct were published, with an 18-month time-period promulgation date to September 2026, allowing employers time to upgrade their Health & Safety requirements to comply with the new published regulatio ...more
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