Zimbabwean leather sector eyes partnership with Chinese firms for value addition

A Zimbabwean woman sells leather products at a trade fair in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, on April 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara)

Source: Xinhua

Zimbabwe’s leather sector is seeking partnerships with Chinese firms to build a competitive leather value chain and further tap into the Chinese market.

Fungai Zvinondiramba, a councillor at the Zimbabwe Leather Development Council, an organization that promotes the country’s leather industry, said China’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and efficient supply chains can help local players become globally competitive.

“We are looking to China as a partner in developing our leather sector. We are also focusing on the entire value and supply chains, from chemicals for our tanneries to components for our shoes and leather boots. China produces all of these, and we want strong trade relations to develop our leather value chain,” he told Xinhua recently.

The Chinese market has a strong appetite for leather crafts such as belts, said Zvinondiramba, also secretary of the Bulawayo Leather Cluster (BLC), a group of businesses and individuals promoting the leather industry in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city.

Zimbabwe has a long-standing tradition of leather craft. The sector benefits from the country’s rich livestock and diverse wildlife resources.

Local producers use a mix of handcrafting techniques and modern machinery to make products such as bags, shoes, belts and wallets. Unlike mass-produced leather goods made with industrial machinery and standardized designs, crafted leather products feature personalized designs, often made with hand-held tools.

Read more: Xinhua