The leather sector in the COMESA region features agro-based economies encompassing livestock with great potential for hides and skins supply.
Current scenario portrays a fairly infant stage of development in the sequent stages of the value chain whilst labor is abundant, institutions exist and markets within the region are growing in line with improving standards of living. Domestic needs for footwear and other leather products are met to a great extent by cheap synthetic imported supplies from the Far-East.
Although Africa possesses 12, 15 and 30 per cent of the world cattle, sheep and goat population, it only supplies 5, 10 and 20 per cent of the world hides and skins respectively, whereas the East African sub-region shares almost half of the continent's livestock population.
The MTSAP, with regard to investment and trade promotion, focuses on the identification of TSIs, supply studies of African countries and definition of a country product matrix and strengthening of Regional Associations for leather industries in order to play a vital role in the internationalization of supply linkages through sub-contractors for international bodies.
