The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has launched the Leather Value Chain Strategy 2025–2029, a blueprint aimed at enhancing the region’s competitiveness in the global leather industry. The strategy, unveiled in Nairobi, seeks to bridge key gaps that have hindered the sector’s growth, including skills development, support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), innovation, and sustainability.
Currently, COMESA exports most of its hides and skins with minimal processing while importing footwear worth approximately $1.1 billion annually. The new strategy aims to reverse this trend by strengthening the region’s manufacturing capacity and promoting intra-African trade, which currently stands at just 15 percent.
Industry Principal Secretary Dr. Juma Mukhwana expressed confidence that the strategy would enable Africa to expand its manufacturing footprint, which currently accounts for only 3 percent of global manufacturing output. “Designing a strategy is like courtship, but implementation is marriage,” he remarked, emphasizing the need for strong execution to achieve meaningful results.
A central feature of the strategy is the proposed establishment of a centralized Trade House to support SMEs. This initiative will facilitate easier access to essential production materials such as chemicals, accessories, and raw materials key bottlenecks that have constrained local leather manufacturers. By addressing these supply chain challenges, COMESA aims to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of businesses in the sector.
African Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) Executive Director Nicholas Mudungwe lauded the strategy as a “living document” that requires continuous adaptation and collaboration among stakeholders. He stressed that successful implementation hinges on teamwork, commitment, and a willingness to embrace innovation.
If effectively executed, the strategy could transform COMESA into a major player in the global leather market, creating jobs, strengthening economic resilience, and reducing reliance on imported leather products. The next four years will be crucial in determining whether COMESA can achieve its ambitious goal of significantly increasing finished leather exports and strengthening its position in the global value chain.
