Zamleather’s Kaleza sports shoes impress on and off the field

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Former England Rugby Union International and World Cup winner Jason Leonard has been knocked sideways by the quality of locally produced Kaleza football boots.

The popular Z-12 boots made by Zambeef division Zamleather are already scoring hits with players across the country.

Now they have caught the attention of the sporting legend, who is the founder of the Atlas Foundation, a non-profit organisation imparting life skills and values such as education, teamwork and discipline to children in underprivileged areas in 16 countries around the world.

He was so impressed that his foundation bought 60 pairs of the boots to distribute to youngsters in Zimbabwe.

During a visit to Victoria Falls recently, Zamleather presented him with the customised Atlas Foundation boots, and Leonard found himself on the front cover of African Business Network magazine giving the boots the thumbs-up.

“The leather rugby boots were nothing short of world class, and Jason was delighted with the quality and the brand of the leather boots which will be used for all matches and key training practices. It would make sense that all further orders go through you so that this quality boot takes its place across many more clubs and schools throughout Africa and other regions,” said tour organiser Sue Anderson.

“The Kaleza Z-12 boots were borne from the desire to have a sports boot on the market that is designed, manufactured and packaged locally as well as suited to our terrain, and is not only affordable but of international quality,” said Zamleather General Manager Richard Franklin.

“It is important for us to be involved at the grassroots as a local sports shoe brand, as a way of reinforcing our commitment and also to communicate the values of quality, discipline and determination among the upcoming generations. It is possible for Zambia to produce quality in terms of talent as well as other products and that is what value addition is all about for us here at Kaleza and Zamleather,” noted Mr Franklin.

Over the years, Zamleather, through Kaleza, has lent its support to little leagues and community initiatives by donating football boots and footballs. It supports the NGO Alive and Kicking, an HIV/AIDS and malaria awareness project, whose stitching centre is based at the Zamleather premises in Lusaka.

Zambia’s leather industry holds much promise, and growth in the sector can be spurred by building markets for local finished leather products that ride on value addition, added Mr Franklin.

“What we need is for local entrepreneurs to look at leather as a readily available natural, local product that provides infinite business opportunities for value addition to our local hides,” he explained.

Zamleather operates the country’s largest operating tannery, with subdivisions that produce protective clothing and safety boots, Zamshu school and sports shoes, and wet blue hides and finished leather material that can be used for upholstery.

“Africa, and the world at large, is striving for a green industrialisation through the use of local raw materials with a view to zero waste. Zamleather embodies this principle in that it takes raw hides from the Zambeef Group’s beef division, adding value,” said Mr Franklin.

One product fast gaining popularity in local sporting circles is its line of Kaleza Z-12 football and Astroturf boots. From the onset, Kaleza models were made to stand out on the market in more ways than one. First released in 2013 they have since gained a reputation on football pitches across the country as the Zambia’s quality affordable lightweight football boots.

Former England Rugby Union International and World Cup winner Jason Leonard: impressed with the quality of Zamleather’s Kaleza football boots.

About Zambeef Products Plc
Zambeef Products Plc is the largest integrated cold chain food products and agribusiness company in Zambia and one of the largest in the region, involved in the primary production, processing, distribution and retailing of beef, chicken, pork, milk, eggs, dairy products, fish, flour and stockfeed, throughout Zambia and the surrounding region, as well as Nigeria and Ghana.

It has 206 retail outlets throughout Zambia and West Africa.

The company is one of the largest suppliers of beef in Zambia. Five beef abattoirs and three feedlots located throughout Zambia, with a capacity to slaughter 100,000 cattle a year. Zambeef produced 18.1 million kgs of beef in 2018. It is also one of the largest chicken and egg producers in Zambia, producing 16.9 million day-old chicks a year and processing 12.8 million kgs of chickens in 2018.

It is one of the largest piggeries, pig abattoirs and pork processing plants in Zambia, with 9.9 million kgs produced during the year, while it’s dairy processes around 19.3 million litres of milk a year.

The Group is also one of the largest cereal row cropping operations in Zambia, with approximately 7,787 hectares of row crops under irrigation which are planted twice a year, and a further 8,694 hectares of rainfed/dry-land crops available for planting each year.

Zambeef employs 7,555 people with a total of K420.8 million paid in remuneration and benefits in the last year.

More information is available at www.zambeefplc.com