SADC Drives Regional Industrialisation with Inaugural Leather Forum in Bulawayo
Natalie Nyathi
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), with support from the German government, held its first-ever Regional Leather Forum in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on July 22, 2025. This event marks a significant step in the region’s efforts to boost industrialisation by strengthening the leather value chain across SADC member states.
The forum gathered over 50 participants, including policymakers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, development partners, and private sector representatives. The goal was to create a platform for policy and regulatory harmonisation, assess progress on the SADC Leather Regional Model Policy Framework, and promote innovation, investment, and trade within the leather sector.
The forum aligns with the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap, which aims to change the region from a resource-based economy to one focused on value addition and productivity. This strategy highlights that trade liberalisation needs to be supported by effective production and trade capacity.
Mrs. Mary Chingonzoh, Acting Director in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, stressed the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors to develop a high-value leather industry that supports the region’s industrial transformation. SADC Secretariat Senior Programme Officer for Value Chains, Mr. Calicious Tutalife, noted that policy harmonisation began in 2023, with member states working to align their policies with regional goals.
Germany has played an important role in supporting the leather sector’s development in the region. Through the GIZ-led CESARE programme, Germany has helped upgrade tanneries, improve production standards, and strengthen business operations in countries like Botswana and Namibia.
The forum’s objectives include harmonising policies and regulations, reviewing the SADC Leather Regional Model Policy Framework, and promoting innovation, investment, and cross-border trade in leather and leather products.
The forum is expected to produce actionable recommendations and a roadmap for developing a competitive, sustainable, and globally integrated leather industry. These outcomes will help harmonise regional policies, improve product quality, and open up new export opportunities within Africa and beyond.
Participants discussed the need to stimulate local production and implement policies that allow for the procurement of leather-related products from local businesses. There were calls for SADC to create a joint funding platform with local banks to support local enterprises.
While the SADC region has a large livestock population, its leather sector faces challenges such as low productivity, illegal exports of raw materials, and environmental issues linked to leather processing. To tackle these challenges and seize opportunities, the region needs to focus on capacity building, skills development, promoting sustainable practices, encouraging investment, and strengthening regional value chains.
The SADC Regional Leather Forum marks an important step towards unlocking the potential of the leather industry in Southern Africa and driving regional industrialisation. By addressing challenges and taking advantage of opportunities, the SADC region can transform its leather sector into a key driver of economic growth and development.