Dr Samuel Kiruthu of the Eastern and Southern Africa Leather Industries Association (ESALIA) has encouraged companies in Botswana to commercialise the country’s leather industry and to utilise the large number of hides and skills available to it.

According to the Association, in order to do this tanneries must be established which will produce added-value products for domestic use rather than merely exporting raw materials. Botswana currently imports large quantities of leather goods despite the fact that many of the raw materials are produced locally.

A three-year commercialisation project for the industry is underway to improve collection and quality in small-holder farming systems and it is hoped that this will help to reduce poverty and unemployment.