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
- A perspective: Perhaps it was an eye-opener for industry players to hear each otherLooking back over the workshop, BMA consultant Justin Snelling wrote: “In terms of our reflections of the workshop, we covered a lot of territory. Perhaps though what was most encouraging was the breadth of participation from different segments of the sector and their willingness, or even excitement, to contribute. We don’t ta ...more2026 Comrades shoe count: Asics stays top, Adidas up, Nike slides into 4th placeMarathon shoe counts are among the few footwear statistics available in SA. The Sweat Shop’s Jax Snyman has extracted this year’s Comrades Marathon figures for comparison with last year.His assessment: “Asics up. Adidas properly up. New Balance steady although now 3rd largest. Nike down and drop in rankings to 4th. Sauco ...morePalm Footwear: ‘One family’Palm Footwear was founded in July 1966 by Kasie Pattundeen, with 18 staff, making slippers.60 years later, with over 800 staff, it is among the biggest employers in the SA footwear industry and among the biggest manufacturers by volume.It remains a family business, headed by Rajeev and Kiran Pattundeen, with their children, Srishti and Rt ...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 ...moreLuxury or notWe hear from all sides that the leather industry is not doing too well and the conflict in the Middle East is definitely not improving the situation. The present wars have a huge impact on inflation and hence on the buying power of consumers with negative consequences for the luxury industry whose shares we have seen tumbling at the vario ...moreOrganic cotton at the crossroads: Ideology, evidence, and the road aheadWashington, DC, U.S.A. (23 June 2026) — Organic cotton occupies one of the most contentious spaces in global agriculture. While praised by brands and consumers for its environmental ideals, it also faces persistent questions about yield stability, certification integrity, and scalability. The current edition of The ICAC Recorde ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- RealPPE 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. ...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 ...moreGlobal stage for occupational safety innovations: exhibitor registration for A+A 2027 has begunDüsseldorf, Germany – The next A+A fair will be held from 19 to 22 October 2027.Since 16 June 2026 exhibitors have been able to register for A+A 2027. Companies and organisations from around the world are invited to introduce their innovations and solutions for safety and health at work and sustainable prevention to an int ...more
© S&V Publications













