S&V African Leather Magazine Vol18 No1 January 2024
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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 and semi-processed leathers: Starting with a positive mindset, says Cape Produce Company director Greg Feinberg.
- Exotics: Ostrich leather and feathers are benefitting from strong relationship with brands, says SA Ostrich Business Chamber CEO Piet Kleyn.
- Education: Industry members against the decision to shut down the Institute for Creative Leather Technologies at the University of Northampton are planning a meeting, writes SATRA assistance director Dr Christine Anscombe.
08 Load Shedding
- Mossop Leather has overcome load shedding, and other tanneries are following similar paths.
11 An Eclectic View
- Non-fossil dyes – a look at the alternatives, by H. Procter.
12 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
13 Sustainability
- Successful audits for Namibian tanneries, and plans for more projects in Africa – by Sustainable Leather Foundation MD Deborah Taylor.
- Synthetic wigs, weaves and extensions given new life in a new project by Alisam Products Development founder Newton Owino.
17 Notice Board
- Obituary for former Boehme Africa MD and CEO Dietmar Theilig.
20 Trade Statistics
- South African hides, skins and leather exports and imports for November 2023, compiled by SA Revenue Services.
Advertisers in this Issue
APLF (03), Authenticae (05), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (07), Mimosa (10), Rolfes Leather Division (OFC), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (15), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (09), Sustainable Leather Foundation (02).
The Next Issue
- The February issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 14 February. The deadline for contributions is 7 February.
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- Ostrich leather and feathers benefit from strong relationships with brands
Oudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA – The South African ostrich industry has had a sustained 2-year period of mostly good news, much of it due to its own diligence, according to SA Ostrich Business Chamber (SAOBC) CEO Piet Kleyn.“Post-covid, we’re in a better state than we’ve been for some years,” he said.Leather and fea ...moreMossop Leather has overcome load shedding, and other tanneries are following similar paths
Columnist H. Procter wrote about solar power in the November issue, noting that it could both address sustainability issues and free tanneries from load shedding.“I had a call with Mossop Leather MD Gert Kruger after we published that article,” he wrote. “He told me it was possible to get all electricity needs with some ...moreSuccessful Audits for Namibian Tanneries
Last year SLF was awarded a contract to work in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, under the Joint Action Support towards Industrialisation and Productive Section (SIPS). Under the contract SLF implemented a 5 step programme to support the tanneries in the region with training and audit certification to meet interna ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humourAs a new year gift, Sam Setter has again given us TWO pills for this issue.I am flabbergasted to read in the November newsletter of Leather Naturally that it is ‘difficult due to global unrest and tension to remain mindful of the important role that we can play in helping to preserve our planet’, and ‘our minds here at L ...moreHides, skins and semi-processed leathers : Starting with a positive mindsetHow has the closure of Midland Tannery affected your business? The tannery operated in very different markets to ourselves; as such there haven't been any significant effects.Do you expect domestic demand for wet blue hides to grow or drop this year? We always hope to see growth in the local market, it’s a key part of our business; ...morePush back against University of Northampton’s plan to scrap leather education : Meeting planned for 24 JanuaryKettering, UK – As you are probably aware the future of leather education in the UK and globally is under severe threat with the recent announcement by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Northampton of her intention to close the Institute for Creative Leather Technologies (ICLT) – see letter below that we received at SAT ...moreNON-FOSSIL DYESA dyestuff is usually an organic molecule that absorbs light and then emits that light at a frequency that is detectable to the human eye. In other words, it emits light in the visual light spectrum - this is why people say they are coloured. Technically, a dyestuff can be uncoloured, and it is called coloured because it emits light in th ...moreSynthetic wigs, weaves and extensions given new life in KenyaKenyan entrepreneur, tanner and industrial chemist Newton Owino, who founded and owns fish skin tannery and footwear/ leather goods manufacturer Alisam Products Development & Design, has been working on a project to recycle synthetic hair extensions and wigs. ...moreHe had the vision to start local production, and expand into Africa : Obituary: Dietmar Theilig - Boehme Africa (now DyStar Africa) (12/05/1938-30/11/2023)Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – It is with sadness that we learnt of the passing of Dietmar Theilig, the former Managing Director of Boehme Africa.I met Dietmar 35 years ago when I was headhunted and appointed as a leather technician. At the time, Boehme Africa was a major role player in the textile and leather industries in Southern Af ...moreShort summary on the life history of Gerhard Dietmar Theilig : Obituary: Dietmar Theilig - Boehme Africa (now DyStar Africa) (12/05/1938-30/11/2023)Born 12th May 1938 in Leipzig-Moeckern. Confirmed on 10.05 1952 at Pfarramt Der Luthergemeinde, Crimmitschau. He had 1 sister, Ursula, who was 7 years younger than himself.His father was in the textile trade and supplied the wool fabric for the army winter coats, and they lived at the army barracks in Leipzig.His father was accused of ind ...moreSA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for November 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (29 December 2023) – Source: SARS.Including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (557 867 005)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.88Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (91 683 982)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.82ExportsMonth % of total 0.23Cumulative 2022 (R'm) 3 794 ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- City of Cape Town backs AllFashion Sourcing as it seeks to grow CTFL sector
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – AllFashion Sourcing Cape Town 2026 returns to Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC 2) from 14–16 July 2026, marking a significant milestone as the City of Cape Town joins as a key partner in advancing Africa’s fashion, textile and apparel sector.This partnership signals a shared visio ...moreObituary: Joe McGinley, Conshu (14/04/1936-20/05/2026) He ran an empire, but kept a human touch
Somerset West, W. Cape, SA – Joseph Pascal McGinley, the former Conshu director who died in May, a month after his 90th birthday, was a larger-than-life character who was renowned during his career in SA for his kindness, and who lived life to the full.Born in Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland, to Joseph and Madeline McGinley, both doct ...moreWe could make sports shoes then, and I’m sure we could make them now
Retired shoemaker Brian Zyster shares more of his memories of ‘the good old days’ of footwear manufacturing in South Africa ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Cooperation between SMEs, academia and government can find solutions
Dr Cecilia China, AfriTech Organic Leather Co. Ltd, the Nelson Mandela Institution of Science & Technology She said Africa has the hides and skins but lacks organised systems to convert them into competitive products.She described her interactions with the Kiwango Leather Cluster with the goal of producing high quality, eco-frien ...moreOBLIQUITY
Shareholder value is usually the result of running a good business, not a reliable operational principle for running one ...moreLeather Naturally launches new report on sustainable water managementLeather Naturally’s latest educational resource, Sustainable Water Management in the Leather Industry (https://www.leathernaturally.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leather-Naturally-Sustainable-Water-Management.pdf), is available to download.Developed using insights from recent public consultation, the report explores:* Why water rem ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Selecting the correct protective clothing for a hazardous chemical environment
In South Africa’s diverse industrial landscape, from mining operations in Rustenburg to petrochemical plants in Secunda and manufacturing hubs in Durban, workers are regularly exposed to hazardous chemical environments that demand more than just basic safety measures.The selection of appropriate protective clothing is not only ...moreJCB Footwear steps into a new eraJCB Footwear has announced the relaunch of its product range in South Africa, marking a new chapter for the brand in partnership with newly appointed distributor, Kaliber Safety Footwear, which is no stranger to the industry with its own successful range of safety and security footwear products.The relaunch introduces an entirel ...moreSA's first PPE conference draws top speakers
The Safety First Association and SAPEMA hosted SA’s first PPE conference in March, cramming 20 papers into a 2-day event, which also featured a number of PPE supplier stands. Here, we carry edited versions of 7 of them to illustrate the diversity of the topics. We expect to carry more in the next edition.As several speakers pointed ...more
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