ALLPI Past Regional Consultative Forums

Context: Global Leather Sector and Africa’s Opportunity

The global leather–footwear economy remains large, resilient, and design-driven, anchored by demand from fashion, automotive, furniture, and speciality goods. In recent years, global footwear output has hovered around 24 billion pairs, with Asia producing close to 90%, underscoring the scope for regional diversification and near-shoring. At the same time, the industry is being reshaped by sustainability requirements, due diligence regulations, traceability expectations, and consumer shifts toward quality, durability, and reparability. These forces are creating space for new production locations that can meet standards, respond quickly to market signals, and integrate digitally with buyers.

Africa is poised for significant growth, starting from a position of inherent strength and under-realised potential. The continent's large livestock base concentrated in East and Southern Africa provides a strong raw-material platform, while a young workforce and urbanising consumer markets promise growing domestic demand. Yet much value still leaks out through weak collection and curing systems, quality losses, and the export of low-value stages (raw or wet-blue) instead of finished leather and branded goods. Per-capita footwear consumption remains low compared to other regions, pointing to substantial headroom for local production, formal retail, and regional brands that retain value and create jobs at home.