S&V African Leather Magazine Vol18 No5 May 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
02 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
03 Upfront
- Why leather factories in Jinja have closed: Report from Ugandan publication The Monitor shows how government interference in forcing beneficiation is killing Uganda’s leather industry.
- Leatherite: More competition for a smaller pie.
- Footwear: School shoes, niche areas okay, fashion struggling.
- Kenyan Government announces creation of jobs in the leather industry.
03 Training
- The debate – and heat – over he closure of ICL needs to end, and there are ways forward: A 3-way conversation between Dr Christine Anscombe, Dr Clive Jackson-Moss and Karl Flowers.
03 An Eclectic View
- Carbon Neutral: Correspondent H. Procter reports on changes to stop the corruption caused by carbon off-setting.
08 Leather, Its Image & Its Place In The World
- Africa continues to call, writes the Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Deborah Taylor, following a busy programme of auditing tanneries in Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with preliminary visits to others.
- ALLPI joins the SLF.
- Deborah Taylor elected as new vice-president of the SLTC.
13 Technology
- The Predator – a new concept in splitting. Alpe Spak explains the labour saving, safety and improved quality benefits of its new system.
17 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
18 Notice Board
- Obituary: Ken Moakes, bon vivant, raconteur and fine leather technician.
- Recognition for long-serving SLTC secretary Pat Potter.
Advertisers in this Issue
All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) (07), Authenticae (05), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (09), Mimosa (12), Rolfes Leather Division (16), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (04), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (19), Stahl (OFC), Sustainable Leather Foundation (02).
The Next Issue
- The April issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 14 June. The deadline for contributions is 10 June.
- Government announces creation of jobs in leather industry
Narok Souh, Kenya (07 April 2024) – The government has announced creation of direct and indirect job opportunities in the leather industry in Narok County in the south rift.Making the disclosure at Ewaso Ngiro tannery in Narok South sub county, Cabinet Secretary for East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Devel ...moreWhy leather factories in Jinja have closed
Jinja, Uganda (Monday 06 May 2024) – Four leather factories in Jinja City have closed, leaving hundreds of former workers unemployed.The factories are SWT Leather Industries located on Mutibwa Road, Mehaka Leather Exim Smc Limited, Uganda Leather and Tannery Industries, Jinja, and Loyal Small-Scale Industries located on Nile Crescen ...moreThe debate – and heat – over the closure of ICLT needs to end, and there are ways forward
In a fascinating 3-way Teams discussion (4, but I was just an observer) last month between SATRA’s Dr Christine Anscombe, the ISTT’s Dr Clive Jackson-Moss and Authenticae’s Karl Flowers, the likely future of training in the tanning industry in Europe, and in countries which traditionally sent students to Europe, took som ...moreCARBON NEUTRAL
In 2015, the international community signed a climate treaty called the Paris Climate Accords. 195 countries, including South Africa, signed the accord pledging to do everything in their governments’ powers to halt the increase in temperatures, and to in principle keep the total increase in average temperatures to less than 2ºC ...moreAfrica continues to call…
Strengthening Sustainability: The conclusion of the year-long project in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, under the Joint Action “Support towards Industrialization and the Productive Sectors” (SIPS). ...moreALLPI Joins Sustainable Leather Foundation
SLF is delighted to confirm that Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute has become a member which further enhances the commitment to supporting the African nations with sustainable development. ...moreDeborah Taylor elected as new Vice-President of the Society of Leather Technologists & Chemists (SLTC)
On Saturday 27th April, during the SLTC Annual Conference and AGM, SLF’s Managing Director, Deborah Taylor, was officially elected as the incoming Vice-President of SLTC. ...moreThe Predator: A new concept in splitting
Arzignano, Vicenza, Italy – Alpe Spak’s new through-feed splitting machine system, the Predator, has been designed to reduce the number of specialised operators, improve worker safety, and improve the quality of the leather.It operates with a patented concept to split in green, lime and now also wet blue.It was developed from ...moreObituary: Ken Moakes – Fredisco, TFL, Buckman, C.F. Stead, Thomas Ware (28/12/1944-22/04/2024): Bon vivant, raconteur, and fine leather technician
Northampton, UK – Ken Moakes died in April, after a short time in hospital, aged 79, of cardiac and renal failure.To me, starting out with African Leather magazine, He was both advisor and friend. He and the late Barry Nash (and unnamed others) would send me a monthly gossip column on the leather trade – never malicious, but g ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humour"The world has become a crazy place. We are not thinking anymore autonomously but are influenced against our better knowledge about matters that are clear lies but we are induced to accept them as the truth. I looked it up and it’s called ‘double thinking’. People are told to live a sustainable bio-based life and ar ...moreLeatherite: More competition for a smaller piePretoria, Gauteng, SA – The leather crafting market has picked up, starting last October, but is still nowhere near as buoyant as before or immediately after covid, said Kevin Thompson, director of leather, trims and tools supplier Leatherite International.“Most of last year was a bit tough,” he said. “You can see ...moreFootwear: School shoes, niche areas okay, fashion strugglingCape Town, W. Cape, SA – On the fashion side local manufacturers in general are finding business quite tough. There are manufacturers operating in “niche” areas of the market that are doing quite well.On a more positive note, our school shoe manufacturers seem to be doing okay. On the industrial side we do not really ope ...moreLong overdue pat on the back for PatNorthampton, UK – I have just finished my time as a volunteer at the museum where Ken was a volunteer. Once again it has all been packed away only for some bits to occasionally be on show at the town museum and other places who are more interested than Northampton - makes me so cross!!I seem to keep busy. I am scanning SLTC back jou ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- EU targets Shein as number of low value parcels more than doublesBrussels, Belgium (06 February 2025) – The European Commission has asked online fast-fashion retailer Shein to provide internal documents and more detailed information on risks linked to the presence of illegal goods and content on its marketplace, the EU executive said on Thursday.Shein said it welcomes "efforts that enhance t ...moreTop footwear resale trends 2024 - StockX report
The 2024 StockX Current Culture Index reveals some interesting trends in the resale market. Here are some of the key takeaways:SneakersAnta is the fastest-growing sneaker brand on StockX, with a whopping 1,901% trade growth year-over-year. This is largely thanks to Kyrie Irving’s signature shoe, the Kai ...moreFrom crisis to catwalk: Can South Africa follow Portugal’s footsteps to save its footwear industry?
Not long ago, Portugal’s footwear industry was on the brink of collapse, drowning under a wave of cheap Chinese imports. Factories shut down, jobs disappeared, and the sector seemed doomed. But instead of fading away, Portugal fought back reinventing itself into one of the world’s most sought-after footwear producers.South Afr ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Get the message across on World Leather Day, urges Leather Working Group
On Saturday 26th April 2025, the global leather industry will come together in recognition of the fourth edition of World Leather Day—a global movement dedicated to celebrating leather as a material and promoting a deeper understanding of the leather industry. This social media kit can be used by Leather Naturally members and i ...moreFish skin leather – ‘In the absence of local expertise, we’re doing it ourselves, and 2025 has begun swimmingly’
7 Leagues is a Canadian fish skin leather tannery. CEO Tasha Nathanson previously wrote an article for S&V African Leather outlining the fish skin leather industry globally. 7 Leagues has been reinventing itself, as she explains below. You can also see more here: https://www.7leagues.com/ ...moreThe journey of Ali Hakimi: A career path defined by leather
My career journey is a testament to a passion for craftsmanship. I was born and raised in Tehran, Iran, and completed my high school education in 1974. Shortly thereafter, I spent two years working in my father's engineering company, where I was exposed to numerous industries. It was during this time that I discovered my interest in leath ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- A partnership for inclusion: Circular Energy and Bradshaw LeRoux join forces for disability inclusionCircular Energy is partnering with Bradshaw LeRoux, a disability inclusion specialists organisation, to forge a disability-positive workplace. ...moreSouth Africa’s first safety escape room for hands-on health and safety training
South Africa's first safety escape room was set up at Phalaborwa Mining Company (PMC) in November last year by health and safety solutions provider KBC.“We required a fresh approach to training,” said Mabore Macheru, Manager in Training Development and Contractor Management at PMC. “This offers an interactive and practic ...moreConsumer Protection Act marking – ‘beware faulty inspections’ warns importer who is R250 000 poorerPinetown, KZN, SA – Wholesaler and retailer Treadsafe cc, which had a container of 120 000 pairs of plain white cotton gloves held up last July by the National Consumer Commission for suspected contravention of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA), managed to get the container released – almost 3 months and around R250 ...more
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