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The Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) is seeking to address key challenges affecting competitiveness of Africa’s leather industry on the international market.
Through the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Regional Leather Value Chain Strategy (2025-2029), ALLPI is targeting to address critical challenges which include limited value addition, reliance on outdated technologies, inadequate financing, and fragmented market linkages.
According to ALLPI Executive Director Nicholas Mudungwe there is need to advocate for the role genuine leather products play in environmental sustainability, durability, and substantial economic opportunities.
“Africa must embrace genuine leather products rather than cheaper synthetic alternatives that are neither durable nor environmentally friendly,” said Mudungwe.
While stressing the importance of government involvement in industrial development of the leather sector, Mudungwe said Africa continues to lag significantly in global leather production despite having abundant livestock resources.
He drew attention to the successful leather industries in Ethiopia and Egypt, citing affordability and quality as key factors in their success.
ALLPI is calling on African governments to actively support local industries through strategic policy frameworks, funding, and improved access to finance to emulate those of other markets such as Ethiopia, Egypt, South Africa, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
ALLPI Board chair Nobby Macharia reinforced calls for actionable implementation of the five-year stratgey, urging participants and COMESA Member States to actively pursue concrete results from the newly developed strategy.
He highlighted Africa’s untapped potential, drawing from global benchmarks and urging regional stakeholders to convert available resources into meaningful economic outcomes
Additionally, private sector players in the industry were urged to ensure transparency in availability of accurate and timely data to encourage development of supportive polices to spur investment and growth of the leather sector.
