S&V African Leather Magazine Vol18 No2 February 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
02 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- Among other things, an SLF audit is reassurance for our customers, says new Nakara MD Max Schaefer.
- After 3 years ‘in the wilderness’, APLF returns to its Hong Kong roots in time for its 40th anniversary.
- Bader SA and Karan Beef continue their long-standing hide agreement.
- In a difficult era for trophy hunting, Pieter Swart heads both SATTA and SUCo-SA.
- Tops Exotic Leather processes Zambia’s lower croc grades for local leather goods manufacturers.
- Leather technician Björn Jonsson leaves to take up post in France.
11 An Eclectic View
- Crocodiles everywhere! A look at the effect of crocodilian farming on the status of various species in the wild, by H. Procter.
- A simple – but nuanced – answer: Yes, farming has benefited some crocodilians, says Crocodile Specialist Group co-chair Charlie Manolis.
13 Decoding Tanning Science
- The effect of calcium concentration in delimed hides on the efficiency of bating, by the ISTT’s Dr Clive Jackson-Moss.
12 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
13 Sustainability
- February workshops in Zimbabwe, by Sustainable Leather Foundation MD Deborah Taylor.
17 Agriculture
- The crucial role of crop diversification in SA’s agricultural future, by FNB’s Paul Makube.
17 Animal Welfare
- Reports by the NSPCA:
- Red Sea terror attacks back stand against live export by sea.
- Lions burnt and left to suffer.
19 Trade Statistics
- SA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for December 2023, issued by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
APLF (03), Authenticae (05), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (07), Mimosa (10), Rolfes Leather Division (xx), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (15), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (09), Stahl (OFC), Sustainable Leather Foundation (02).
The Next Issue
- The March issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 20 March. The deadline for contributions is 13 March.
- Nakara: SLF audit ‘reassurance for customers’
Windhoek, Namibia – I have been appointed MD of Nakara Tannery & Manufacturing as of January, and I am pleased to report that Nakara has been audited by the Sustainable Leather Foundation and that it is now an SLF compliance partner.With regards to the benefits and learnings during the auditing process:The SLF auditing process b ...moreIn a difficult era for trophy hunting, Pieter Swart heads both SATTA and SUCo-SA
Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – Pieter Swart, the current President of the SA Taxidermy & Tannery Association (SATTA), was elected as the Sustainable Use Coalition Southern Africa (SUCo-SA)* Chairman late in 2023. He entered the wildlife industry as a part time professional hunter and outfitter in the early 90s shortly after ...moreTops: Processing lower crocodile skin grades for local leather goods market, aimed at tourists
Kafue, Zambia – Topsoil General Dealers was registered as a company in 2009 as a raw hides and skins trading company. The company supplies good quality raw hides and skins to local tanneries to be processed into leather as a way of value addition.The raw hides not fit for leather processing are sundried and exported for food t ...moreCrocodiles everywhere
A recent paper in the Journal of Coastal Research has sparked interest in the value that environmental services play in a local economy (van Heerden and Snyder, 2013). Anyone would have predicted that there is economic value in keeping wild areas intact.The American alligator was under direct threat in 1973 - listed as EN (endangered) on ...moreThe effect of calcium concentration in delimed hides on the efficiency of bating
Part 2. The effect of calcium content on the enzymatic bating, elastin removal and collagen degradation of delimed hides (Editor’s note: Part 1 was in S&V African Leather, Vol. 17, No. 11, November 2023, and is available on the website, www.svmag.co.za) ...moreFebruary workshops in Zimbabwe
On 12-13th February SLF deliverED a 2-day workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe where tanneries from Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Zambia cAme together to participate.This was a continuation of the work under the SIPS project that began last year, and the last issue of S&V African Leather reported on the positive results of the work already complet ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humourThe EU bureaucracy is often a pain in a certain place (just ask the European farmers) because its directives are often interfering with tradition at great loss for small enterprises, always favouring big (multinational) companies. This time the EU centred the bullseye with the Green Claim Directive, EUGCD, which if implemented, would be a ...moreAPLF returns to Hong Kong for its 40th anniversaryThe 2024 edition of APLF Leather will be held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from 19 - 21 March, concurrently with its sister events, Materials+ and Fashion Access.The importance of APLF as ‘the meeting place of the global leather industry’ is borne out by the combination of institutional and comme ...moreBader, Karan hide agreement continuesBader SA and Karan Beef have confirmed that the agreement whereby Bader SA buys all Karan Beef hides is still in place.Karan, which is a vertically integrated feedlot, abattoir and meat wholesaling business, slaughters around 2 000 cattle per day. The hides are third party wet blue tanned.Bader SA COO Robert O’Connell said the ...moreLeather technician Björn Jonsson leaves SAI'm sad to say that after 33 years I have left SA for France because the work in SA was not as fulfilling as it was in the past. I'm now working for CET outside Juvardeil in Western France. CET is part of a large abattoir group, Bigard, which is the largest meat processor in France.CET is a wet blue plant supplying wet blue and wet white ...moreA simple – but nuanced – answer: Yes, farming has benefited some crocodiliansCharlie Manolis is chief scientist at Wildlife Management International in Karama, Northern Territory, Australia, and he is also a co-chair of the CSG. Below, he says crocodilian farming has more-or-less eradicated poaching, but that other human pressures threaten many crocodilian species.rn ...moreEU Green Claims Directive (EUGCD):In other news, on Wednesday 17th January 2024, the EU overwhelmingly voted for the adoption of the Green Claims Directive, with 593 votes in favour, 21 against and 14 abstentions. The Directive that is designed to prevent companies from misleading consumers through “greenwashing” or vague marketing claims, will now go for Cou ...moreThe crucial role of crop diversification in SA’s agricultural futureJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA (30 January 2024) – The agricultural landscape is undergoing a significant transformation as the traditional practice of mono-cropping, where a single crop variety is planted extensively across vast tracts of land, is rapidly fading. Sustainable crop production now demands urgent attention towards diversify ...moreRed Sea terror attacks against shipping back stand against live export by sea as ship forced to turn backJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA (23 January 2024) – The NSPCA reiterates its unwavering stance against the live export of animals by sea, emphasising the severe implications on animal welfare. The recent incident involving the MV Bahijah, an Australian live export ship stranded amid deteriorating security in the Middle East, un ...moreLions burnt and left to sufferJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA (06 February 2024) – The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) attended to the Fairy Glen Nature Reserve in Worcester, Western Cape to assist 3 illegally kept lions that were severely burned during wild fires in the area. Grace de Lange, NSPCA Chief Operations Officer explains that “1 male and ...moreSA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for December 2023Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (31 January 2023) – Source: SARS. https://www.sars.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/Docs/TradeStats/2023/8784Nov/Media-Release-November-2023.pdfIncluding Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (649 586 236)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.87Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (91&nbs ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Vermont sale completedJohannesburg, Gauteng, SA – After 39 years, former owner Mandy Owen has sold her shares in Vermont Leathercraft Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd to Creek Lab (Pty) Ltd, and officially handed over the business to Prashant Bhaga.In a message on LinkedIn, she wrote: “I would like to thank my husband, Graham, for his invaluable contributio ...moreThe showroom pair is not the orderA shoe on a showroom table is wonderfully persuasive. A buyer can flex the forefoot, press the heel counter, check the stitching, compare the two shoes and turn the pair over to examine the sole. Colour, finish and hand feel are all there to judge.The purchase order may then reduce that pair to a short line: one style number, one colour d ...moreStokies: New owner plans to resurrect a homegrown brandScottburgh, KZN, SA – Trendy Shoes, a KZN South Coast retailer which also has its own footwear factory producing footwear for its own 3 stores, bought the long-established but run-down brand, Stokies, from Faulks Footwear, which has now closed. Hussain Khan answers our questions.What attracted you to Stokies?What attracted us to Sto ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- ISTT 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 ...more‘FMD is here to stay – we have to learn to live with it and manage it’
Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – FMD is no longer a series of isolated outbreaks; it has become a national systemic risk, and we need to shift our mindset from emergency response to living with and managing FMD responsibly. The pressure is already showing in the numbers. Our latest figures show cattle slaughter down 12% and sheep slaughter d ...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
- Performance testing: Building credibility in the modern apparel and footwear market
The lines between protective wear, sportswear, outdoor apparel, wellness clothing and everyday fashion continue to blur. Consumers increasingly expect garments and footwear to deliver more than style alone. Whether purchasing workwear, running apparel, outdoor footwear, school shoes or everyday casual products, buyers now look for comfort ...moreOccupational 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 £ ...moreStatistical shape modelling for population-specific respirator design: Addressing fit failure in South African populations
Respirators are widely regarded as the last line of defence against hazardous airborne exposures. Whether protecting healthcare workers from tuberculosis, laboratory personnel from infectious samples, or workers exposed to carcinogenic dusts and fumes, respirators are often relied upon when other controls cannot eliminate exposure. This r ...more
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