Changes in the global leather market have impacted most on the bottom rung of the leather value chain – ‘country’ hides and skins. This was starkly illustrated when S&V African Leather received a call from someone in the Eastern Cape who had previously made a living collecting them for sale to agents acting on behalf of hide and skin collectors. The agents were still there, he said, but they weren’t interested in buying what he had to offer. Where should he look?rnrn A call to trader Gareth Diesel in East London, who works for and with Elliott Brothers and its subsidiary, East London Abattoir, confirmed that market had died in the province.rnrn He suggested we ask Greg Feinberg, MD of SA’s biggest hide and skin trader, pickler and wet blue tannery, Cape Produce Company, for ‘the bigger picture’. ...more

Dialogue with Cape Produce Co. MD Greg FeinbergAre there any issues with sheepskins in terms of quality and availability?Quality and availability are both relatively steady (based on the usual seasonal variations). The primary issues on both lines are market related (demand vs supply) with both Merinos and Dorpers experiencing unpreceden ...more

Columnist H. Procter wrote about solar power in the November issue, noting that it could both address sustainability issues and free tanneries from load shedding.“I had a call with Mossop Leather MD Gert Kruger after we published that article,” he wrote. “He told me it was possible to get all electricity needs with some ...more

How has the closure of Midland Tannery affected your business? The tannery operated in very different markets to ourselves; as such there haven't been any significant effects.Do you expect domestic demand for wet blue hides to grow or drop this year? We always hope to see growth in the local market, it’s a key part of our business; ...more

Hides: markets remain extremely challenging. Whilst better quality hides can be moved, pricing is a concern, specifically on the low end with South American material moving at prices well below cost.Merinos: The garment market is under severe pressure due to the situation in Russia/Ukraine (the traditional home for this material); whilst ...more