Air of confidence
31/03/2008
The leather industry in South Africa has, in recent years, been dependent on an automotive sector that is now facing substantial difficulties. Nevertheless, the leather industry is still in good shape, according to the head of the International School of Tanning Technology in Grahamstown, Dr Clive Jackson-Moss.
He told leatherbiz.com: “Normally one or two sectors are busy and others are slow, but at the moment most of the automotive tanneries are busy with the exception of one or two. Three out of the five large automotive tanneries are running at very good capacities, and those tanneries producing wet blue always have a demand for their product.”
He explained that he had no direct involvement in the industry but said he had formed this view of what was going on from talking at length to companies on the supply side, such as those in the leather chemicals sector. He added that ostrich tanners were also busy, and that in the last year or so, there has been a turnaround for shoe upper tanneries.
He confirmed that South African tanneries have begun producing higher volumes of shoe upper leather again because many local shoe manufacturers have returned to local suppliers after experiencing quality problems with what he called “cheap imported leather”.
Dr Jackson-Moss added that a number of the country’s retail chains have also taken a decision to stock locally produced footwear because of problems with imported shoes, particularly from China, including major difficulties in returning defective goods.
“After a number of very difficult years, the whole ostrich industry seems to have turned the corner,” he added. “The farmers suffered due to bird flu, and this impacted on the number of birds available for slaughter. The ban on the export of ostrich meat has been lifted so there is a general air of confidence in this sector.”
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