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Martin Kadzere
Senior Business Reporter
Boustead Leather, formerly Wet Blue Industries is looking to diversify the range of its products as part of long term objective to “replace plastic goods with leather.”
The company was removed from judicial management in 2019, paving way for resumption of operations. Prior to judicial management, the firm was only processing wet blue leather or semi worked animal skins.
However, the firm has since moved up the value chain and is now manufacturing various leather goods including waist belts and bags among other products.
“It was difficult to get started after the tannery had been neglected for years,” managing director Mr Sibusiso Sibanda told The Herald Finance & Business. “At some point, the tannery was rented out to an abattoir owner who turned it into a stock feed plant.
“We have since refurbished nine drums out of 13. Of the four remaining, we are rebuilding two of them now. From a 25 hide a day capacity that we found, we have shot to 1 500 to 2 000 hides that can be limed a day.”
Mr Sibanda said the firm now has capacity of soaking 1 000 or more hides in the refurbished pits. Out of seven pits, four have been refurbished.
“We are currently doing wet blue leather for all the major tanneries in the country,” said Mr Sibanda.
In light of Covid-19, Boustead Leather is focusing on domestic market.
“We have a belt making plant that we’re pushing to make 10 million belts for the local market by 2030. Our mission is to replace plastic goods with leather,” said Mr Sibanda.
Boustead Leather is involved in the whole value leather chain.
“We have farmers in partnership with our mother company Boustead Beef. When cattle are slaughtered, we harvest good skins and process them.
“We are the biggest wet blue plant in the country and when at full capacity, we will be the biggest in the region. As Boustead Leather, we have taken the tannery to the last level where we now process leather to the fullest.
“When leather gets done at the tannery, we have a travel goods manufacturing department, belt making plant, furniture designing, refurbishing and manufacturing department. We also have a car trimming and reupholstering studio.”
The company employs 53 workers and plans to double the number by this time next year.
Boustead Leather is also working on various product samples for potential clients in France, Dubai, US, England and the Southern African region.
Zimbabwe has a competitive advantage on the leather value chain given its viable livestock base, but had lost the grip in recent years, as established manufacturing companies collapsed in the face of a myriad of adverse macro-economic reasons.
In May this year, the Government launched the Zimbabwe Leather Sector Strategy (2021-2030) that seeks to boost production of leather products.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter