S&V African Leather Magazine Vol19 No4 April 2025
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- Rwanda plans tannery park.
- COMESA launches leather value chain strategy to boost regional industrialisation.
- Eagle Italian businesses ‘set to reopen’.
- Rolfes management get to know new Solevo Group colleagues.
08 An Eclectic View
- Isihlangu: The skill used for making these historical raw hide shields is slowly being lost and should be a national heritage priority for Southern African tanners to relearn the skills and to ensure that the craft continues, says correspondent H. Procter.
10 Leather, Its Image & Its Place In The World
- How do you know where to go if you don’t know where you are? asks the Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Deborah Taylor.
- Transparency, sustainability, longevity: Get the message across on World Leather Day, urges Leather Working Group.
13 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
16 Noticeboard
- A career path defined by leather: My journey, by Fusion Leather’s Ali Hakimi.
Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (09), International School of Tanning Technology (ISTT) (11), Mimosa (OFC), Rolfes Leather Division (06), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (08), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (03), Sustainable Leather Foundation (02).
The Next Issue
- The May 2025 issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 07 May. The deadline for contributions is 30 April.
Footwear Industry Articles
- Law firm files class action lawsuit against CrocsRosen Law Firm, a global investor rights firm, has initiated a class action lawsuit against Crocs, Inc., representing all purchasers of Crocs common stock between November 3, 2022, and October 28, 2024. The lawsuit alleges that Crocs misled investors regarding its acquisition of HEYDUDE, a casual footwear brand.Key allegations include:1. ...moreBergstan: Less affected on the plattelandNeither of those has had an effect on my business. I suppose it’s because my stores are more on the platteland. The only thing that has an effect on us is the economy. ...moreObituary: Zelton Wiskin – footwear agent (24/03/1958-24/01/2025) :‘He loved to please people - regardless of the consequences’Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA – Retired former footwear agent Zelton Wiskin died in January, after a long illness, aged 66.Born in Johannesburg, he left school early to work for his stepfather, Aubrey Fuchs, who was also an agent.He represented 2 footwear companies for most of his working career – women’s footwear manufactur ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- RETANNING CHEMISTRY - LEFTOVERSThe 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 ...moreNew 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 ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': Too much is still not enough!My favourite way of communication is definitely not social media. We are flooded with nonsense and plainly untrue posts, and I dare say that most have a negative influence on us, on our behaviour and our habits. Personally, I refuse to be told who to vote for, how to dress, what to eat and enrich in the process totally unknown people call ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Beier Group, Department of Higher Education and SETA ‘better together’Pinetown, KZN, SA – The Beier Group, which includes the BBF Safety Group, in December hosted the Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET) and the FP&M SETA for an oversight visit to ensure that state funds are being used in accordance with the Sectoral Skills Plan.DHET deputy minister Dr Mimmy Martha Gondwe and SETA ...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. ...moreSGS to host 'Discovering PPE softlines solutions’ on 27 MarchGeneva, Switzerland – Testing, inspection and certification company SGS is hosting a complimentary webinar, ‘Discovering PPE softlines solutions’, on 27 March 2025.The global market for personal protective equipment (PPE) is expanding, but it is also becoming more regulated. Businesses looking to ensure product complianc ...more