ILM Editor Megan Thomas analyses country data and has spoken with industry experts to provide a snapshot of the current state and potential future of the Ethiopian leather industry, including an exclusive interview with the UK’s Ethiopia Ambassador, H.E. Biruk Mekonnen. Read More...
The South African tanning sector has reached an agreement in the 2026 Annual Wage Negotiations, bringing an end to the final outstanding wage negotiations under the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry of South Africa (NBCLI). Read More...
Recent local reporting has confirmed that wage negotiations in South Africa’s tanning sector remain unresolved, with no final agreement reached between employers and unions. Read More...
According to local reporting, South Africa's footwear and leather industry has urged the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) to safeguard local manufacturing as the country finalises its tariff offer under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) ahead of upcoming Southern African Customs Union (SACU) negotiations. Read More...
The South African tanning sector remains the only one of the three sectors under the National Bargaining Council of the Leather Industry (NBCLI) yet to conclude this year's wage negotiations. Read More...
Nigeria has the potential to produce up to 200 million pairs of shoes each year if it strengthens its domestic leather value chain, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Read More...
Mike Redwood shares insight for May/June 2026 of ILM. In it, he discusses the scale of the African continent, which he says remains predominantly at the commodity end of the leather value chain. Read More...
The South African leather sector is important, albeit small compared to major leather producing nations. Despite this, it holds true to the critical ethos of resilience in the industry, showcasing resource strength and positivity with a renewed focus on modernisation. Writes Megan Thomas. Read More...
Ethiopia’s leather sector is facing ongoing challenges, including raw material shortages, financing constraints and regulatory gaps, industry leaders said at a briefing in Addis Ababa in February. Read More...
A new US$1.2 million manufacturing factory in Harare for shoe soles, lasts and accessories is expected to significantly boost Zimbabwe’s leather sector and reduce reliance on imported footwear inputs. Read More...
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