The Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Tuesday convened its inaugural Regional Leather Forum in Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo to promote industrialisation and cross-border trade across the leather value chain.
Supported by the German Government, the forum convened over 50 stakeholders, including policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers and private sector leaders, to chart a path towards a more competitive and integrated leather industry in the region.
SADC Senior Programme Officer for Value Chains Calicious Tutalife described the forum as a pivotal moment for regional value chain development, saying the engagement was key to advancing the leather industry and enhancing its role in regional industrialisation.
The forum is anchored in the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap (2015–2063), which aims to shift the region from a resource-based economy to one driven by value addition, innovation and high productivity.
Value chains are central to this transformation, offering opportunities for job creation, export growth and regional integration.
Delivering the keynote address, Mary Chingonzoh, acting director in Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said the forum aimed to promote the harmonisation of policy and regulatory frameworks across the 16 SADC member states; review progress on the SADC Leather Regional Model Policy Framework.
Another objective of the forum was to promote investment, innovation and seamless trade in leather goods, she said.
The event also featured presentations from the African Leather and Leather Products Institute and updates from member states on national implementation efforts.
Participants explored strategies to improve product quality, market access and sustainability, with a focus on elevating leather from a raw commodity to a high-value export.
The forum was expected to produce a regional roadmap for leather sector development, reinforcing SADC’s commitment to industrial transformation through coordinated policy, private sector engagement and regional cooperation.
JN/APA