Our Heritage

The Beginnings

In 1842, gaslight ignited rapid industrial growth in South Africa. Young Joseph, son of a Keswick tanner, honed his leather-making skills under his father's guidance. With his brother James, he migrated to Cape Town, capitalising on the city's booming industrial demands. Establishing Mossop and Sons, Joseph pioneered leather production in Rondebosch by the Liesbeek River, strategically located for trade on route mining towns up country.

Western Tanning Company

John Henry Coaton, a former railway worker from Yorkshire, founded The Western Tanning Company in Wellington, South Africa, in 1871. With his sons, the tannery expanded, employing 160 workers and in addition to the tanning produced thousands of shoes yearly. Sourcing hides locally, including from neighbouring Zimbabwe, the company met South Africa's industrial demands.

Mergers and Consolidations

Mossop and Sons relocated their operations to Parow in 1981, situated in the industrial sector of Cape Town, with the aim of enhancing efficiency and providing improved service to their market. Despite securing international funding, the Mossop family maintained leadership of the company for an additional four generations, guiding it into the new millennium. In 1996, Western Boot & Tanning Co merged with Mossop & Son Leather to form "Mossop Western Leathers."

Mossop Leather Today

At the start of the century, Mossop's Parow operation ceased and was amalgamated into the Western Boot & Tanning Co plant in Wellington. This tannery was responsible for producing approximately 140,000 square meters of leather monthly, meeting half of South Africa's leather demand. Each day, around 2,000 hides underwent tanning and processing, resulting in approximately 750,000 pairs of shoes. Moreover, the tannery ventured into the international market, with 15% of its leather production being exported.  In 2006, the buildings and land of The Western Tanning Company operation were sold to private owners, who repurposed the site for functions. Subsequently, in 2007, Mossop Western Leathers relocated to a more contemporary facility on Blignaut Street in Wellington, where we currently operate.

Our Shareholders

Mossop Leather, under the Rahman Group, excels in global leather and footwear manufacturing with a commitment to quality and innovation. As part of the Bolton Group, Mossop has consistently supplied high-quality shoe upper leather to Bolton Footwear, a key player in South Africa's footwear industry since 1859. The Bolton Group, after diversification, is now a leading footwear company, known for competitively priced, top-tier leather products.