63 foreign exhibitors participated including chemical and machinery manufacturers from Europe alongside many Ethiopian companies in the newly opened Millennium Hall. Buyers from China, Italy, India, Malaysia, Germany and Spain attended the fair which showcased leather and leather products including shoes, articles and handicrafts from Tanzania and Ethiopia.
The event had the financial and organisational support of Unido and USAID, and was additionally sponsored by Midroc Ethiopia and GTZ Germany Aid agency. Several potential investors were attracted to the event by a foreign investment forum organised by Unido. Aurelia Calabro of Unido, who has supported the industry in Africa since 1991 and has a special affinity for the continent, put a lot of work into organisation.
For the future, there is a commitment from the government that the Ethiopian Leather Fair will be an annual event. However, there is no direct relationship with Meet In Africa and no intention for it to replace MIA.
Pittards, who have a management contract for Ethiopia Tannery, also participated in the exhibition, representing the local industry. The company have been helping with the development of crust and finished leather in the tannery as well as in a number of others.
The company have also formed a joint venture company called ‘Pittards Global Sourcing PLC’ with an Ethiopian partner to manufacture garments and leathergoods. This new company will be housed in a new building in Addis Ababa and will employ around 100 people.
Elsewhere in Ethiopia, shoe manufacturers are working in partnership with foreign investors (Italian and German) and this sector is expected to grow. As the leather products sector expands, to overcome the raw materials shortage there will be a clear need for Ethiopia to begin to import raw materials and finished leather. Ethiopia has the largest animal population in Africa, particularly in terms of sheep and goats, and is tenth in the world. The government is reportedly planning a tariff on pickle and wet-blue added value products but this has not occurred as yet.
