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These are genuine nguni hides born and bred in South Africa.
Nguni hides are an assortment of rich colours and patterns. The more dominant colours being black, white, brown and in less common instances, a combination of all three or dun (also known as yellow). Each of the varying hide’s patterns has a name closely associated to an animal, bird, plant or other natural wonder. Although it is not necessarily limited to this natural association for example, on the odd occasion, a animal may be described by the pattern of the hide itself.
Nguni skins are highly functional and are mostly used as “rugs” in homes. They are decorative and easy to maintain and are now being used for upholstering furniture, ottomans, cushions, patchwork mats, hand bags and clothing.
The bulk of our Nguni skins are sourced throughout Zululand from abattoirs of the highest standard to ensure that the hides are skinned and preserved properly until they get to the tannery.
These skins come from cattle that are farmed for their beef. The hide is a byproduct that would have been stripped of the hair and processed into leather for car manufacturers and clothing. These hides are now intercepted by us at the abattoir and tanned with the hair on, adding value to the nguni animal.
We are currently supplying skins to shops around South Africa and have also sent Nguni hides to the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, France, USA and the UK.
These hides are genuine nguni hides from South Africa. There are a lot of hides being imported from South America that have a similar look but are not NGUNI. Nguni hides can be recognized by the shape that they have been cut in.
| Characteristics of hides | |
| • | Scratches and scars: Caused by trees, thorn bushes and barbed wire. These scars are normal and natural and they don’t affect the quality or the lifespan of the product. The less scars the hides show, the higher its value. |
| • | Patches: Although the hides are skinned by machine at the abattoirs they may still get cut. After tanning they are repaired with patches of the same hide. |
| • | Cattle brands: are compulsory by law as a means of identification. |
Taking care of Nguni hides and game skins
Occasional cleaning with a warm damp cloth and vacuuming will be all that is necessary.
Avoid hard or excessive rubbing. If it does get wet allow it to air out naturally out of direct sun light as this could cause the hide to go hard.
Stains and spilling: Clean the liquid immediately with a clean cloth or an absorbent sponge. Do not rub. Dry with a towel and leave it to air out.
Spots and stains: Use a mild solution of soap (no detergent – use neutral soap like the bar of green sunlight soap) and warm water. Apply with a clean and wet sponge and then let it air out.
For 5 or more hides e-mail us for the wholesale price.