S&V African Leather Magazine Vol18 No3 March 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
02 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- After 47 years and some change, Exotan/Cape Karoo International’s Jerome Ingenhoes retires.
- Drought leads to shortage of elephant hides for exotic leather tanners in Zimbabwe, writes Johnny Kleynhans.
05 An Eclectic View
- Apprentices, not graduates. The future of training in the leather industry has changed with the closure of the University of Northampton’s Institute for Creative Leather Technologies, writes H. Procter.
- SA-based former Nene College graduates Granville Steyn and Ali Hakimi mourn the passing of an era.
08 Leather, Its Image & Its Place In The World
- Deforestation is the number risk topic facing our industry, writes the Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Deborah Taylor.
- Sustainability issues will be core focus for new Leather & Hide Council of America president Kerry Brozyna.
- Leather and other ‘natural’ materials unite to promote their image through a design competition.
13 Technology
- Upgrading vacuum dryers on a budget – Turato Ricambi’s Paolo Turato explains the benefits of the Italian company’s new developments, Raptor and Velocis.
14 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
15 Agriculture
- Farming for the future with modernised systems, by Schneider Electric’s Clive Roberts.
16 Trade Statistics
- SA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for January 2024, issued by SARS.
Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (03), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (07), Mimosa (OFC), Rolfes Leather Division (09), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (02), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (10), Sustainable Leather Foundation (04).
The Next Issue
- The April issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 13 April. The deadline for contributions is 02 April.
- Jerome Ingenhoes Retirement
Port Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA – Jerome Ingenhoes, one of the best-known personalities in the world ostrich industry, sent this WhatsApp message earlier this month: “After 17,261 days work, at last pension! Cheers.” We hope he will write about his time in the industry for a forthcoming issue. ...moreApprentices, not graduates
Some time has passed now since the world has heard that Nene College (aka the University of Northampton's Institute for Creative Leather Technologies, ICLT) is to close. This is an unmitigated disaster, and the industry is thinking of the staff (past and present) who have poured their hearts and souls into that department who are now due ...moreDeforestation is the number one risk topic facing our industry
Traceability is the key, and the danger is that noncompliance will lead to brands moving further away from leather as a material choice because it’s too challenging to source ...moreLeather and other ‘natural’ materials unite to promote their image through design competition
The Leather & Hide Council of America, along with U.S. associations representing wool, timber, cotton, hemp and mohair, have started a design competition to promote the ‘natural’ materials promoted by the sponsors. Deadline for entries is 31 May.rnrnFrom an African and South African perspective, it’s not easily accessible because it is only open to “students in higher education or designers who have graduated in the past year”, and it specifically bars exotic leathers including the crocodile and ostrich leather which are among this region’s strengths. rnrn ...moreRaptor and Velocis – upgrading vacuum dryers on a budget
Turato Ricambi 1968 Srl specialises in producing spare parts, upgrades and boosters for vacuum dryers made by other machinery manufacturers. It claims to prolong the life of vacuum dryers and enhance their performance, both at a much lower cost than investing in new equipment. Here, director Paulo Turato explains the benefits of its latest products, Raptor and Velocis. ...moreFarming for the future with modernised systems
According to a new report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators 2023,15 years since the establishment of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, agriculture-related targets have stagnated or regressed. Furthermore, major Pan-European manufactu ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills' For readers who need some wry medicinal humourThe leather industry is unfairly targeted by the green lobby, says Sam Setter, but the industry should do more to help itself."I mean, how stupid are we???!!! Various organisations that claim to represent the leather industry aim, in their words, to save the earth, forcing responsibilities upon this industry that it doesn’t hav ...moreDrought leads to elephant hide shortageBulawayo, Zimbabwe – For a couple of reasons, the consultancy Legacy Exotic Leather Specialists (LELS) hasn’t progressed since it opened in January.The first is getting through the licensing bureaucracy, the more serious is the prevailing shortage of raw elephant hide.We will however continue with consultancy and age ...moreReaction from local former studentsGranville Steyn, Leather Business Manager, DyStar Africa (Pty) LtdPietermaritzburg, KZN, SA – I started as a lab assistant way back in 1980 at The Western Tanning Company, in Wellington under Messrs. Gerald Tutt and Alan Sykes, just to mention a couple. In the meantime, Chris Black was already studying at Nene College, and on his re ...moreSustainability issues will be core focus for new L&HCA presidentWashington DC, U.S. (20 February 2024) – The Leather & Hide Council of America (L&HCA) has appointed Kerry Brozyna as Acting President, effective June 2024. He brings significant experience in brands, manufacturing and international supply chain management as he moves from Wolverine Worldwide (WWW), where he served as Vice P ...moreSA hides, skins, and leather trade statistics for January 2024Pretoria, Gauteng, SA (29 February 2024) – Source: SARS. https://www.sars.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/Docs/TradeStats/2024/Jan4125/Media-Release-January-2024.pdfIncluding Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN)Cumulative tradeTrade balance R'm (139 726 231)Ratio (exports/imports) 0.67Monthly tradeTrade balance R'm (139&nb ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- National Leather and General Goods Strategy WorkshopOn 23 June, following months of fieldwork, B&M Analysts (BMA) hosted an online workshop to discuss the recovery of the handbags, belts, travel goods and allied manufacturing industries in SA.The industries, although very diverse, fall under the General Goods & Handbags Sector of the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Indus ...moreComrades Expo 2026
Durban, KZN, SA – The exhibitor list at the Comrades Expo, from 11-13 June, has shown an evolution in the types of companies exhibiting. Just 1 running footwear supplier, Ikhambi Distribution, promoting its Hoka brand, was there.Technical sock suppliers, however, were well represented, with Balega, Falke, Sox Footwear and The Hirst ...moreVermont 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 ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- African leather businesses holding LWG and SLF ratingsAs African leather manufacturers strive to grow their exports, the number which have qualified for ratings by the Leather Working Group (LWG) and the Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) is growing.By country, LWG lists the following:Algeria: Sarl Tannerie Ain FakrounBurkina Faso: Mona Industry SARL.Egypt: El Montaza Tannery, Piel Color C ...moreFMD: Government upbeat, little comment from industryPretoria, Gauteng, SA – The Department of Agriculture’s “strategic objective” is to vaccinate 80% of South Africa’s national cattle herd – which is around 14 million animals – against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) by December this year, according to a media statement on 12 May.“The vaccinatio ...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
PPE Industry Articles
- Proactive 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 ...moreRealPPE Marketplace: Where safety meets smarter procurementRealPPE Marketplace is a 100% black women-owned B2B PPE marketplace built for South African industry. Founded after years of witnessing safety officers and procurement teams lose time to fragmented suppliers, inconsistent pricing, and missing documentation, RealPPE was created to bring structure and reliability to industrial PPE sourcing. ...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 £ ...more
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