As middle income populations in emerging markets grow, so too does the global demand for leather products. With a small number of micro businesses and artisanal enterprises operating as tanneries, hide collectors and leather product manufacturers, Botswana is in the process of creating a vibrant
leather cluster which will kick start with the development of a leather park in Lobatse.
Over the years, Livestock development in Botswana has been directed mainly towards satisfying the rapid increase in demand for meat, milk and eggs while less attention was paid towards the development of the successive by-product industries of the livestock sector.
Botswana has always had an abundant supply of hides and skins, a by-product of the meat industry, of which the final product, leather, is one of the most sought after commodity due to its value and versatility. The Government of Botswana has decided to take advantage of the rapidly increasing global demand for Leather by building a robust leather sector at home.
Opportunities do exist in the leather industry as there is an ever growing market for leather goods. The versatility of leather makes it a raw material for a wide range of industries ranging from industrial use, upholstery garments to fashionable items. Its uses are also extended to art, crafts and aesthetics. Young people can look thoroughly in to this and make a living for themselves.
