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.
- COMESA launches leather value chain strategy to boost regional industrialisation
Nairobi, Kenya (02 April 2025) – In a landmark move to accelerate Africa’s industrialization, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has unveiled its Leather Value Chain Strategy 2025–2029.The high-profile launch, held in Nairobi, brought together government officials, development partners, private se ...moreEagle Italian businesses ‘set to reopen’
Marondera, Zimbabwe – Eagle Italian Leather (Pvt) Ltd and Eagle Italian Shoes (Pvt) Ltd, which operate as a combined tanning and footwear manufacturing business and which were set up about 20 years ago to supply the Zimbabwean Government with military boots, are expecting to reopen, director Francesco Marconati said this month.He sa ...moreRolfes management get to know new colleagues
Speciality chemicals distributor the Solevo Group, which acquired various Rolfes businesses in SA last year to add to its African portfolio, had a teambuilding and strategic session for senior management in Côte d'Ivoire recently. Pictured are the 4 South Africans (from left): Quintin Marais, MD of Rolfes Leather, Justin Ghersie, co ...moreIsihlangu
The skill used for making these historical 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 ...moreHow do you know where to go, if you don’t know where you are?
Many organisations feel disadvantaged by not having access to the latest international standards and expectations, nor the information and tools to assist them with how they can achieve the standards required.This is something that SLF has a mission to support – ensuring that any organisation, irrespective of size and scope, can ben ...moreGet the message across on World Leather Day, urges Leather Working Group
On 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 leather
My 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 ...moreThe Fairs - Sam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humourWe have just had the pleasure of the celebration of the world's major leather fairs, Lineapelle and APLF. Both fairs have been considered well attended though business was apparently not brilliant. However, have you noticed that the fairs are more and more shifting from the exhibition and business purpose to a conference venue, an instrum ...moreRwanda plans tannery parkKigali, Rwanda – According to an article in The New Times on 08 April, Rwanda is to establish a tannery park, including a centralised effluent treatment plant, to service more than 1 tannery.The planned tannery park is to be in the Bugesera Industrial Zone, about 50 kilometres from Kigali.The Times reported that the Leather Value Ch ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Lemaitre’s Robust Pro, ‘based on user feedback, is a gamechanger in safety footwear’
Lemaitre, a trusted leader in safety footwear, is proud to announce the launch of the New Robust Pro, a reimagined safety shoe designed to deliver unparalleled comfort, durability, and all-around protection for workers across industries. With the Robust Pro we set out to create a shoe that truly works as hard as the people who wear it by ...moreTshepo opens new store at Mall of Africa
Johannesburg, Gauteng, SA (02 June 2026) — South African fashion brand Tshepo has opened its second store at Mall of Africa.Tshepo, founded by Tshepo Mohlala in Victoria Yards 10 years ago, specialises in locally made denim jeans.“Victoria Yards remains central to Tshepo's identity, serving as the bran ...moreA 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 ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- Mobilising Africa’s human resource to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain
In last month’s edition I wrote about mobilising Africa’s livestock to reinvigorate the regional leather value chain, and this article is focussed on mobilising the human resource that is needed to make the most of the abundant livestock populations in the region.On Friday 12th June, newly organised SARLEN (Southern African Re ...moreSARLEN aims for business and regulatory advocacy for the leather value chain across SADC
The formation of the Southern African Regional Leather Network (SARLEN) is a process to formalise a voice for commercial, entrepreneurial and developmental associations in the leather value chain (LVC) for the region.The leather value chain has been recognised in SADC as a key entrepreneurial opportunity that can adjust to the scale of th ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': TraceabilityThe EU Commission is very much engaged in bringing traceability of our raw materials to the forefront of tannery management. But let’s reflect on this for a moment. In the industrial world traceability is a fact, and particularly where food is involved, traceability is a standard requirement for trading. This is firstly to ensure fo ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- Making fall protection practical
Working at height is, by its nature, potentially dangerous. But only potentially. Properly planned and executed, working at height is safe. However, accidents and injuries are common.Part of the problem is that many – most – businesses do fall protection plans as tick box exercises. Industry can help by planning correctly, whi ...moreRealPPE 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. ...morePremier Workwear: Engineered protection for Africa’s industrial workforce
In high-risk industrial environments, protective clothing is far more than a uniform requirement — it is a critical component of workplace safety, operational reliability and regulatory compliance. For procurement professionals, safety managers and operational leaders, selecting the right supplier means finding a partner capable of ...more
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