S&V African Leather Magazine Vol19 No7 July 2025
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IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Sam Setter’s ‘Pills’
- A new quip from Sam Setter in each issue.
04 Upfront
- Automotive leather exports grow, but ‘entire auto industry at risk from U.S. tariffs, warns NAAMSA’s Dr Norman Lamprecht.
- Foot and mouth disease update in SA: Progress, but most quarantines remain. Karan’s Heidelberg feedlot remains closed.
07 An Eclectic View
- LIRI – origins and end. Correspondent H. Procter describes LIRI’s many high points, and laments the failure to stay open in changing times.
11 Leather, Its Image & Its Place In The World
- Celebrating 5 years of sustainable progress. The Sustainable Leather Foundation’s Deborah Taylor takes a justifiably proud look at an eventful period.
13 Weights & Measures
- Compiled by the ISTT.
Development
- Ethiopia’s LISEC project, 8 years on. Time to invest in the Ethiopian leather value chain, says chief technical advisor Yassin Awale.
Advertisers in this Issue
Authenticae (06), International School of Tanning Technology (OFC) (08), Mimosa (04), Rolfes Leather Division (02), S&V Calendar (01), S&V Directory (05), Southern African Footwear & Leather Export Council (SAFLEC) (03), Sustainable Leather Foundation (OFC).
The Next Issue
- The August 2025 issue of S&V African Leather will be out on 15 August. The deadline for contributions is 08 August.
- LIRI - ORIGINS AND END
The Leather Industries Research Institute (LIRI) was a research, education and training provider located on the Rhodes University campus, based in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. In 1938, the Rhodes University College initiated a small, but successful tanning/hides/skins section in the Chemistry Department. The department was formed as a resp ...moreCelebrating 5 Years of Sustainable Progress!
On Sunday 13th July, SLF was proud to mark a significant milestone — 5 years of the Sustainable Leather Foundation!Since our launch in 2020, we’ve been dedicated to making the leather industry more transparent, responsible, and sustainable. Thanks to our growing worldwide community, we’ve:✅ Developed practical tools to ...moreA call to action: Invest in Ethiopia’s Leather Value Chain
Africa is moving towards greater integration, towards opportunity, and towards self-sustaining growth through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).This presents a timely and strategic opportunity for Ethiopia to leverage its natural renewable resources, its growing technological base, and its skilled workforce to take its plac ...moreSam Setter's 'Pills': For readers who need some wry medicinal humourEUDR - againThe Italian Government is proactively engaged to support the leather industry in its efforts to delete leather from the deforestation directive. This is how one can summarise the message that Mr. Antonio Tajani, Italy’s foreign minister, submitted to the European Commission regarding leather and deforestation: ‘Eit ...moreAutomotive leather exports grow, but ‘entire auto industry at risk from U.S. tariffs’, warns NAAMSAPretoria, Gauteng, SA – After a long period of decline, South Africa’s exports of stitched leather seats and parts grew consistently from a low of R85 million in 2021 to R288 million in 2024, according to the Automotive Trade Manual 2025, published by the Automotive Business Council (NAAMSA), and written by its executive manag ...moreFoot and mouth disease update: Progress, but most quarantines remainPretoria, Gauteng, SA – FMD has spread to Free State Province, the Department of Agriculture confirmed on 14 July, with a commercial farm near Kroonstad quarantined, with surveillance, vaccination and trace-back to determine the source.“As of July 2025, a total of 270 FMD outbreaks have been reported across 5 provinces in Sout ...moreEthiopia’s LISEC project, 8 years onIn 2018, the United Nations industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) launched its ‘Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employment Creation Project’ (LISEC) in Ethiopia. Funded by the European Union (EU), which invested €13.75 million, the project has been centred around Modjo City.It has focused on reducing migration by ...moreFootwear Industry Articles
- Obituary: Joe McGinley, Conshu (14/04/1936-20/05/2026) He ran an empire, but kept a human touch
Somerset West, W. Cape, SA – Joseph Pascal McGinley, the former Conshu director who died in May, a month after his 90th birthday, was a larger-than-life character who was renowned during his career in SA for his kindness, and who lived life to the full.Born in Letterkenny, Donegal, Ireland, to Joseph and Madeline McGinley, both doct ...morePalm Footwear: ‘One family’Palm Footwear was founded in July 1966 by Kasie Pattundeen, with 18 staff, making slippers.60 years later, with over 800 staff, it is among the biggest employers in the SA footwear industry and among the biggest manufacturers by volume.It remains a family business, headed by Rajeev and Kiran Pattundeen, with their children, Srishti and Rt ...moreLemaitre’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 ...more
Leather Industry Articles
- SARLEN: Defining what needs to be doneThe SARLEN webinar on 12 June 2026 featured 3 main speakers. The entire presentation can be seen here: : https://drive.google.com/file/d/14xBkPMTqsln-YuqkCXsm_vsazDwNqL83/view?usp=sharing ...moreSARLEN – the journey so far
SARLEN was guided by a model policy framework for the leather value chain, adopted by all member states in 2023. It was supported by Deutsche Zusammenarbeit (German Cooperation), implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), with the SADC Secretariat as the principal sponsor.The building blocks are ass ...moreAfrican leather businesses holding LWG and SLF ratingsAs African leather manufacturers strive to grow their exports, the number which have qualified for ratings by the Leather Working Group (LWG) and the Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) is growing.By country, LWG lists the following:Algeria: Sarl Tannerie Ain FakrounBurkina Faso: Mona Industry SARL.Egypt: El Montaza Tannery, Piel Color C ...more
PPE Industry Articles
- JCB Footwear steps into a new eraJCB Footwear has announced the relaunch of its product range in South Africa, marking a new chapter for the brand in partnership with newly appointed distributor, Kaliber Safety Footwear, which is no stranger to the industry with its own successful range of safety and security footwear products.The relaunch introduces an entirel ...moreChina-made firefighting equipment now needs verification of conformity with SANS standardsPretoria, Gauteng, SA – Firefighting equipment is among the 25 product categories published on 01 April by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition for a mandatory Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) Programme.The system will require certain goods shipped from China to be tested and certified before they enter the ...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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