S&V African Leather Magazine Vol18 No8 August 2024
Click the advert links for more info. • Download PDF








IN THIS ISSUE:
02 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- ‘Stable to positive’ – the ostrich leather industry is doing well, writes Cape Karoo International MD Francois de Wet.
- Poor market for sheepskins, but hides remain steady: Cape Produce Company MD Greg Feinberg answers our questions.
06 An Eclectic View
- Job cards: An old concept, increasingly digitised, and still an essential work tool, writes correspondent H. Procter.
09 Leather, Its Image & Its Place In The World
- There are many benefits to working with us, writes the Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Deborah Taylor.
- Celebrities to judge the Leather & Hide Council of America’s Real Leather. Stay Different blog competition.
13 Technology
- Stahl extends its EleGrade portfolio of high-end leather upgrading solutions.
14 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
15 Notice Board
- CPC’s Benjy Lapiner turns 75.
- Tannery Environmental Consultancy Services’ Roger Rowswell has died.
15 Agriculture
- Update on outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Eastern Cape.
- Organised agriculture organization TLU says first meeting with new Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen ‘positive and constructive’.
Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (08), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (12), Mimosa (03), Rolfes Leather Division (05), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (11), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (02), Stahl/Elegrade (OFC), Sustainable Leather Foundation (10).
The Next Issue
- The September issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 20 September. The deadline for contributions is 16 September.
- Ostrich: ‘Stable to positive’ – the good days continueMossel Bay, W. Cape, SA – We are now nearly 5 years down the line, since the KKI and Mosstrich/SCOT merger. The new name Cape Karoo International (CKI) is now well known among all international and local buyers of ostrich leather. Our clients across the globe also have switched now to “CKI” as the new brand, understandin ...moreJob CardsJob cards – are these bureaucratic pieces of paperwork worth anything? The tracking of work, quality control indicators, dates and timing, and non-conformance can be tagged onto this tool and production control and monitoring can be greatly enhanced. The job card can be historical and diagnostic.Can a tannery run production without ...moreThe Benefits of Working with SLF…Recent articles that we have written for S&V have focussed in on specific topics, for example greenwashing, or having an industry voice. This month we’re taking the opportunity to remind readers about the work that SLF does to support the leather industry across many interlocking areas to provide value for organisations. ...moreCelebrity panel to judge ‘Real Leather’ competitionWashington, DC, U.S. (16 August 2024) – The promotional blog Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD), funded by the Leather & Hide Council of America (LHCA) to promote U.S. leather internationally, organises an annual international student design competition. It has issued the following release: ...moreEleGrade: High-end leather upgrading solutionsWaalwijk, the Netherlands (12 August 2024) – Stahl, a leading provider of speciality coatings and treatments for flexible substrates, has recently extended its EleGrade® portfolio of high-end leather upgrading solutions for a wide range of industries and end markets.Leather upgrading solutions are key to maximisin ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humour" You can’t help those who don’t help themselvesThe International Trade Centre in Geneva spent a large amount of money in order to analyse the leather value chain in Mongolia. An extensive value chain study was made from the raising of the animals up to the finished product. The ITC presented a strategy proposal to the Go ...morePoor market for sheepskins, hides steadyDialogue with Cape Produce Co. MD Greg FeinbergAre there any issues with sheepskins in terms of quality and availability?Quality and availability are both relatively steady (based on the usual seasonal variations). The primary issues on both lines are market related (demand vs supply) with both Merinos and Dorpers experiencing unpreceden ...moreUpdate on outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in Eastern CapePretoria, Gauteng, SA (08 August 2024) – Following the recent outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Kouga and Kou-Kamma Municipalities of the Eastern Cape, the Department of Agriculture is committed to providing ongoing updates and ensuring effective measures are in place to manage the situation.Engagement with Farmers an ...moreTLU SA & John Steenhuisen: A positive and constructive conversationTLU SA had positive and constructive discussions with the new Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, on Tuesday morning.TLU SA attended the meeting this morning alongside other organisations where the main challenges in the agricultural industry were discussed. Steenhuisen welcomed the representatives and immediately addressed four ke ...more
Footwear 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 ...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 ...moreManufacturer-buyer event: Among the manufacturer commentsThe 2-day Retail Buyer Engagement & Manufacturer Onboarding Programme on 01 and 02 July was part of an effort to kickstart the R-CTFL Masterplan – which, from a footwear perspective at least, has appeared stalled.It was sponsored by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and implemented through the R-CTFL Masterplan Footwea ...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 ...moreFifteen million sheep in the UK to share among shearersAccording to the UK government, its sheep population decreased over the past year by 1.7% but that still leaves a flock of over 30 million. For comparison, the domestic flock in South Africa numbers about 21 million and New Zealand has some 23 million. Australia, with more than 70 million, has a wool clip of approximately 325,000 tonnes. ...moreZimbabwe Leather Development Council lobbies for Government contractsThe Zimbabwe Leather Development Council (ZLDC) is lobbying policymakers to open up public procurement contracts to local leather manufacturers, arguing that Government contracts are essential to reviving the country’s struggling leather value chain.Speaking on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo (ZIC ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Statistical shape modelling for population-specific respirator design: Addressing fit failure in South African populationsRespirators 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 ...moreIndoor air quality monitoring: protecting people, processes, and productivity in South AfricaIndoor air quality (IAQ) is becoming an increasingly important topic across South Africa as industries place greater focus on occupational safety, environmental controls, and operational reliability. While air quality concerns were once mainly associated with mining, heavy industry, or healthcare environments, businesses across multiple s ...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
© S&V Publications














