S&V African Leather Magazine Vol18 No10 October 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
03 Upfront
- Rwanda: Realism needed for a country with wonderful hides and skins.
- Hanni family prepares to celebrate 300 years of tanning.
- Fusion Leather World achieves LWG silver rating.
06 An Eclectic View
- Traceability in Africa: Unusually, Africa has led the way in leather traceability, writes correspondent H. Procter, but the devil is in the detail.
09 Other Materials
- Leather friends? Perhaps not quite ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’, but ‘natural’ materials have more in common with each other than with the arch enemy, plastics, writes Karl Flowers.
11 Leather, Its Image & Its Place In The World
- Keeping leather relevant for the future involves both holding on to its heritage and incorporating modern values, writes the Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Deborah Taylor. - Only Natural: Inaugural competition, funded by the Leather & Hide Council of America and others, challenges fast fashion.
15 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (OFC), Fusion Leather World (04), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (07), Mimosa (02), Rolfes Leather Division (05), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (08), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (44), Sustainable Leather Foundation (12).
- TRACEABILITY IN AFRICA
Africa, specifically South Africa, leads the world in the traceability of leather, especially crocodilian and ostrich leather. Created decades ago, the trace and tracking system adapted for the high value exotic skins was implemented to prevent skin theft, and to monitor the value of skins (to enable the final payment to co-operative farm ...moreLEATHER FRIENDS?
Perhaps not quite ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’, but ‘natural’ materials have more in common with each other than with the arch enemy, plastics ...moreKeeping leather relevant for the future…
Last month’s SLF article focused on the future of automotive leather and the changes being felt in the sector. This month, the focus is more generally around the crossroads that leather finds itself at, trying to hold on to the heritage of being one of the oldest industries on earth, while at the same time needing to be an industry of the future. ...moreOnly Natural: Inaugural competition, funded by Leather & Hide Council of America and others, challenges fast fashion
From algae lamps to bamboo chairs: young designers shine with sustainable creations International student competition challenged entrants to design bespoke pieces using only natural materials, inspired by nature’s beauty Students from London College of Fashion, Central Saint Martins, The Royal College of Arts, Nottingham T ...moreSlavesPublicity has always been a very important trade tool and its use to sell products goes back ‘ages’. The use of publicity is becoming more and more important as people, the consumers, are not thinking anymore with their own heads, but follow what others, so-called self-promoted influencers, tell them how to behave, how to dres ...moreFusion achieves LWG silver ratingCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Fusion Leather World (Pty) Ltd is the 11th South African tannery to become a Leather Working Group (LWG) certified supplier. It has been awarded a silver rating.“It’s now expected of leather exporters to have certification,” said MD Denzil Spolander. “Most of our growth will be from e ...moreRwanda: Realism needed for a country with wonderful hides and skinsNote: This correspondent requested anonymity.I read the Pill concerning the tannery park project in Rwanda. I fully agree with Sam Setter!Please allow me to share my mostly fantastic Rwanda experience. My first visit to Rwanda was back in 1981 where I met the MD of the Rwanda Leather Industry tannery at the outskirts of Kigali and the MD ...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 ...moreCity of Cape Town backs AllFashion Sourcing as it seeks to grow CTFL sector
Cape Town, W. Cape, SA – AllFashion Sourcing Cape Town 2026 returns to Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC 2) from 14–16 July 2026, marking a significant milestone as the City of Cape Town joins as a key partner in advancing Africa’s fashion, textile and apparel sector.This partnership signals a shared visio ...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
- Leather Naturally launches new report on sustainable water managementLeather Naturally’s latest educational resource, Sustainable Water Management in the Leather Industry (https://www.leathernaturally.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Leather-Naturally-Sustainable-Water-Management.pdf), is available to download.Developed using insights from recent public consultation, the report explores:* Why water rem ...moreRwanda’s planned leather park movedRwanda’s planned tannery park has been moved from Bugesera District to Gicumbi District, according to several reports. It’s expected to be completed by 2029. The project was first announced in 2024. ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': Over and AgainThe EU announced that hides and skins could be removed from the EUDR directive's deforestation commodities. Could! Last month, like many others, I thought that the decision had been taken, but that doesn’t seem to be correct. The final decision will be taken after public feedback. Yeah, you read this right: after public feedback. As ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Statistical 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 ...moreThe concepts behind safety: Why bother with PPE on the ‘Road to Zero Harm’?
For over a decade, the ILO and other such bodies have been pushing this whole notion of "Zero Harm", "Road to Zero" and other such catchy titles, all pushing the idea most probably backed by one-sided research that "Zero Harm" is the only way and can be achieved if you work hard enough.My problem with this id ...moreThe legal ramifications: PPE and the law: Ignore at your peril?
There’s no shortage of legislation covering employee safety in South Africa, but as in so much else, the enforcement is poor.In terms of our laws, the death of an employee (or anyone else) in a work situation, caused by negligence, is treated as culpable homicide. An injury caused by negligence is also a criminal act – that, b ...more
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