S&V African Leather Magazine Vol18 No11 November 2024
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- Rolfes Leather: New owners give it entrée to more African markets.
- Agency company changes: TST and Bosch Technical Services.
- Newald Groenewalt rejoins OPSA.
06 Forecast
- Steady at a lower level: Hide demand steady amid growing global supply, gelatine plants absorbing higher number of lower grades, writes Cape Produce Company’s Benjy Lapiner.
08 An Eclectic View
- LULUC: Explaining the link between deforestation and the leather industry, writes correspondent H. Procter.
11 Decoding Tanning Science
- A cost-effective method of reducing loose grain damage during the bating process: The ISTT’s, Dr Clive Jackson-Moss summarises a JALCA paper entitled “Preventing Enzymatic Damage to Hides by Timely Inhibition of Trypsin Activity with Soybean Flour during Bating Process”.
13 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
15 Leather, Its Image & Its Place In The World
- The power of partnership…the Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Deborah Taylor announces the beginning of a new programme funded by the Leather & Hide Council of America.
16 Agriculture
- Update on FMD in SA: 4 provinces declared free from foot and mouth disease outbreaks.
Advertisers in this Issue
Asia Pacific Leather Fair (APLF)/Informa (02), Authenticae (10), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (14), Mimosa (05), Rolfes Leather Division (07), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (09), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (11), Sustainable Leather Foundation (03), Stahl (OFC).
The Next Issue
- The July issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 20 November. The deadline for contributions is 15 November.
- Groenewald returns to OPSAOudtshoorn, W. Cape, SA – Newald Groenewald rejoined Ostrich Products SA (OPSA) in September as tannery manager.He started at the then Klein Karoo International in 1991 before joining OPSA as tannery manager in 2015. He joined Le Croc as tannery manager in 2021, and left there earlier this year. ...moreHide demand steady amid growing global supply, gelatine plants absorbing higher number of lower gradesThe picture I get of the leather industry globally is that it is losing share in all its markets for a variety of reasons. In South Africa, the situation is compounded by cash-strapped consumers choosing cheaper alternatives. Cape Produce Company is at the beginning of the leather process, and it supplies all leather markets in SA and internationally. I asked CEO Benjy Lapiner if the picture is as bleak as I’m told. No, he said, but… ...moreLULUC: Explaining the link between deforestation and the leather industryLand use and land use change (LULUC) refers to the study area in general – that is the study of how global land use change (commonly through human intervention) results in increased atmospheric emissions. The obvious emission is that if the forest is burnt, the emissions are directly released into the atmosphere. However, the change ...moreA cost-effective method of reducing loose grain damage during the bating processIntroductionEnzymatic bating is an important part of the leather making process. Bating enzymes help remove unwanted skin components from the hide structure, as well as any scud present on the grain layer. Good bating leads to clean, soft leather. Under bating results in poor removal of unwanted skin components, and a firmer crust leather ...moreThe power of partnership…This month we are delighted to announce the beginning of a new programme, being funded by the Leather & Hide Council of America as part of the US Regional Agricultural Programme. ...moreUpdate on FMD in SA: 4 provinces declared free from foot and mouth disease outbreaksPretoria, Gauteng, SA (25 October 2024) – The Department of Agriculture has announced that the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, which occurred during 2021-2022, has been successfully resolved in the North West, Free State, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga Provinces. These provinces, which were initially impacted by the outbreak, have n ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humourIt’s the middle-class market, not the rich, where the real money isAlthough I fully realise that luxury is a very important factor for the leather industry, I believe that we focus too much on this particular sector, and forget the day-to-day use of leather. There aren’t too many people who can afford a €100 000 bag, a &e ...moreRolfes Leather: New owners give it entrée to more African marketsBoksburg, Gauteng, SA – Rolfes Leather and the other 4 divisions which collectively make up the Rolfes Group have been acquired by the Solevo Group, a pan-African distributor of specialty chemicals.In a statement, Solevo said it had bought 100% of Rolfes Group in a deal backed by Solevo’s owner, London-based Development Partne ...moreAgency company changesCape Town, W. Cape, SA – Gert Bosch and Arné Husselman left TST Agencies earlier this year.Bosch started Bosch Technical Services (Pty) Ltd (BTS), which began trading on 01 March, servicing the tanning industry. He represents a number of principals including some formerly represented by TST.Husselman has left the industry and ...more
Footwear Industry Articles
- Hail-fellow, well-met, in a genuine way - Obituary: Denis Manning – Kronies Footwear, Trenzado Footwear (29/03/1954-18/03/2025)Sadly, Denis Manning passed away on Tuesday, 18 March after a battle with cancer, 11 days before his 71st birthday.Denis arrived in South Africa with his wife, Jane, in March 1976 and settled in Pinetown. He joined Kronies as a trainee factory manager and worked there for many years, firstly with Hans Krohn and Doug Roberts and then ...moreA practical joker, honest and generous in all things – except maybe biltongObituary: Howard Charles Patterson-Roberts – footwear agent (22/06/1951-08/03/2025) ...moreTraditional Guinea Leppi fabric now officially recognised as a PGIPretoria, Gauteng, SA (15/04/2025) – Leppi fabric dyed using local plants is the traditional fabric of the Foutah Djallon region in Guinea. Its Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) designation, recently granted by the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI), safeguards the fabric from misuse inc ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURETanners should try to source their hides from farmers who are practising sustainable farming techniques ...moreGet the message across on World Leather Day, urges Leather Working GroupOn 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 ...moreThe journey of Ali Hakimi: A career path defined by leatherMy 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
- 7 strategies to create more resilient mine dewateringDewatering is a crucial operation in mining. Chetan Mistry, Strategy and Marketing Manager at Xylem Africa, advises how to approach mine dewatering with these 7 strategies. As recent events at a Namibian mine demonstrate, dewatering is a critical linchpin for mining operations. ...moreA 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. ...moreMine deaths in SA ‘lowest ever’ in 2024Extract from the release of 2024 mine health and safety statistics by Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, on 23 January 2025. ...more
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