S&V African Leather Magazine Vol19 No2 February 2025
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- SATEO’s Mark Oosthuizen to step down.
04 An Eclectic View
- Retanning Chemistry – Leftovers, by correspondent H. Procter.
08 Leather, Its Image & Its Place In The World
- What’s the point of industry associations, asks the Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Deborah Taylor.
- Canadian fish skin leather tannery 7 Leagues “doing it themselves” in the absence of local expertise and guidance.
11 Reports Around Africa
- Ethnicity and geography in Nigeria’s leather trading industry – an article from African Arguments.
- Transforming the leather sector in Ethiopia – an article from People In Need.
14 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
15 Agriculture
- SA ratifies Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
- Act on Agricultural Land Conservation is ‘just a veil for greater state control’.
Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (07), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (09), Mimosa (05), Rolfes Leather Division (02), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (15), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (12), Stahl (OFC), Sustainable Leather Foundation (03).
The Next Issue
- The March issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 12 March. The deadline for contributions is 5 March.
- RETANNING CHEMISTRY - LEFTOVERS
The fundamental function of retanning has been to impart the final crust leather properties to the leather. The strength, softness, grain break, crust resistance (sweat, fastness, water spotting), fullness, drape, roundness, run, and nap properties; are common properties imparted by a typical retannage. The traditional leather science tex ...moreWhat’s the point of industry associations?
Industry associations play a crucial role in the growth and development of businesses and professionals within specific sectors. These organisations bring together experience and knowledge to provide a collective voice, valuable resources, and networking opportunities that are beneficial for both individuals and companies.In the leather 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/ ...moreEthnicity and geography in Nigeria’s leather trading industry
Debating Ideas reflects the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarly, original and activist writing from within the African continent and beyond. It offers debates and engagements, contexts and controversies, and reviews and responses flowing from the African Argume ...moreTransforming the leather sector in Ethiopia
A new leather processing programme, 42 new enterprises, 22 women's saving groups, and 2,876 young people with enhanced business development capacities—these are just some of the achievements within The Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employment Creation (LISEC).The three-and-a-half-year Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employme ...moreSam Setters Pills: Audits and reality aren’t always the same thingOn the last day of 2024 I read a very interesting article on Reuters’ website which I want to share with you hoping it is still available https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/inside-luxury-goods-broken-audit-system-2024-12-31/The article focusses on two important issues, being the lack of transparency of part of the ...moreSATEO’s Mark Oosthuizen to step downPort Elizabeth, E. Cape, SA – Mark Oosthuizen, the long-serving secretary and legal counsel to the SA Tanning Employers’ Organisation (SATEO), has retired.In an email, he wrote: “Yes, I can confirm that after much soul searching and medical advice, I have come to realize that I am not in position to give my clients the s ...moreSA ratifies Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and AgriculturePretoria, Gauteng, SA (28 January 2025) – South Africa became the 154th ‘contracting party’ to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) by depositing its instrument of accession with the Director-General of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) on 23 December 2024, acc ...moreAct on Agricultural Land Conservation is ‘just a veil for greater state controlPretoria, Gauteng, SA (29 January 2025) – TLU SA rejects the new Act on the Conservation and Development of Agricultural Land. The agricultural organisation believes this law is nothing more than a veil for greater state control and a direct threat to the future of agriculture in South Africa. It runs almost parallel to the Expropri ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- NikeSKIMS — A game-changer or just smart marketing?
Nike and SKIMS are teaming up to launch NikeSKIMS, a new activewear brand debuting this spring. Nike, a leader in sportswear, brings its athlete-focused innovation, while SKIMS, Kim Kardashian’s brand known for shapewear and body-inclusive designs, adds its style and fit expertise.This partnership promises to combine performanc ...moreWhat to do about Temu and Shein: SA’s apparel retailers look to government, and even Trump, to slow the flood
It’s quite funny, really.Seldom have so many South African apparel retailers been as united as they are in their opposition to twin international threats, ecommerce retailers Temu and Shein, while simultaneously, many of their own managements and staffs – and their families – are not-so-secret customers of those same ent ...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
- New Zim tannery seeks ‘retired adviser’A new tannery to process cow and goat skins has started near Harare, and is hoping to attract “a retired tanning person” from South Africa for a short period to help set it up.“We have 3 drums and a few machines,” said Hashmook Naran of Tika Shoes, Harare, who is involved in the new business.“We’re curr ...moreEthnicity and geography in Nigeria’s leather trading industryDebating Ideas reflects the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarly, original and activist writing from within the African continent and beyond. It offers debates and engagements, contexts and controversies, and reviews and responses flowing from the African Argume ...moreAfrica Agri Tech Conference and Exhibition: ‘All problems have a common solution – technology’Pretoria, Gauteng, SA – The third Africa Agri Tech Conference and Exhibition (AAT), taking place from 18 to 20 March 2025 at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria, is the gateway to the latest AgTech breakthroughs.“The biggest challenges facing food producers today – rising input costs, erratic weather, theft, and logis ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Understanding respirator PPE
The subject of Respirator Personal Protective Equipment is confusing until one understands the basic concept requirements.OHS Act defines Respiratory Protective Equipment as a device which is worn over at least the mouth and nose to prevent the inhalation of air borne hazardous chemical substances and which is of a type or conforms to a s ...moreNew standard for PFAS assessment for consumer products ‘is useful for manufacturers, consumers, laboratories, and regulators’W. Conshohocken, Pa., U.S. (07 January 2025) – A new ASTM International standard will provide users with a road map for planning and executing assessments of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products and articles. The new standard, which will be published as F3700, was developed by ASTM&rsqu ...moreLengthy detentions: That’s just the way it is, says NCCS&V Protect asked the National Consumer Commission to comment on Treadsafe’s experience, and also whether other containers have been detained. Jabu Mbeje, Divisional Head: Enforcement & Legal Services, at the NCC, sent this response: ...more
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