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)

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.

"We have the best hides, the best animals. And we also have a strong historical background in leather crafting. The skill set and infrastructure are already in place. We have those trained in manufacturing, as well as those with natural talent for crafting," Zvinondiramba said.

He added that other products in the leather value chain, such as raw hides, can also be exported to China.

"We are also looking at promoting our abattoirs in China. With the world's largest population, China presents a lucrative market for our meat products, especially beef, which is also part of our value chain," he said.

Once a major regional producer of leather goods, especially shoes, Zimbabwe's leather sector is now undergoing a revival.

Joseph Mukondo, a marketing representative for BLC, said that while small-scale producers are playing a vital role in reviving the industry, they face stiff competition from imported second-hand and synthetic footwear.

"So far, the leather industry is struggling due to the influx of cheap synthetic leather imports and second-hand shoes. We are trying to win back customers by promoting genuine leather, but with the current economic hardships, people tend to buy two or three pairs of shoes for 10 U.S. dollars instead of a single genuine leather pair for 20," he said.

"We used to have large foreign companies making shoes in Zimbabwe. Today, most activities are carried out by local start-ups. That is why we are turning to China to help our start-ups grow into major players in the leather sector," Zvinondiramba said.