Shah Industries Limited

leather crafts and wood carvings

Situated in Moshi, Tanzania, Shah Industries is a small family enterprise producing leather goods and other craftwork.

Shah Industries has a policy of giving employment to disadvantaged people, especially the disabled.
 

Custom orders

See the rest of this website for examples of Shah products.

Shah: Office equipment

		Pen holder, flowers	Wooden, with pressed flowers (right)	6.00
		Pen holder, painted	Wooden, painted in Tinga-Tinga style (left)	6.00
		Leather "Golf-bag" pen-holder	Brown or black	8.00

Shah: Bags

		Soft Briefcase	80.00
		Knapsack	40.00	available in many sizes
		Shoulder bags	30.00
		Travel bag	80.00

Shah: Keyrings and Wallets

		Keyring, map of Africa, with initial letter printed		1.25
		Keyring, stitched, with initial letter printed		1.25
		Key-holder with animal picture	Antelope or zebra	8.00
		Animal keyrings	Lion, Giraffe, Rhino or Elephant	3.00
		Leather wallets	Ladies/Gents	10.00
		Leather wallets	(inside view)

Shah: Ornaments

		Map of Africa	3 feet high	20.00
		Leather Elephant sculpture		5.00
		Leather Rhino sculpture		5.00
		Ebony candlesticks	Pair	10.00

Shah: Clothing and body ornaments

		Belt	specify waist in inches	15.00
		Hair slides	specify style:	2.00

Shah: Carved items

		Ebony candlesticks	Pair	10.00
		Shoe horn	Carved Wood and horn	10.00
		Bottle-opener	Cow-horn	10.00

Shah: Flower cards

		Greeting card with pressed flower		1.50
		Greeting card with pressed flower		1.50
		Greeting card with pressed flower		1.50
		Greeting card with pressed flower		1.50
		Writing set with a pressed flower on each sheet	six sheets in a presentation folder with envelopes	6.00

History

On completion of secondary education in 1956, Himat D Shah, managing director of Shah industries, first ran a maize and rice milling business with his father. They did not like to throw away by-products. Bran from the mill was given to dairy farmers who in turn sold milk to Express Dairies, Bakery and Minerals, a company owned by the same family. Himat also studied pig rearing and poultry keeping with the aim of developing an animal feeds industry serving the Kilimanjaro region.

In 1967, the Shah family's businesses suffered greatly under the nationwide takeover of private enterprises by the state. Their newly-equiped milk pasteurization plant was made useless, and a block of eight flats built to accommodate the families of the company's workers were nationalized. The family's animal feed business was also taken over by the National Milling Corporation.

Himat remained loyal to his country and developed a leathercraft industry highly efficient in its use of  locally obtainable raw materials.

In 1982 Shah Industries had 302 workers on its payroll, 55 of them with disabilities.  Business has not been so good recently because of heavy government taxes:  Shah still employs 26, of whom 15 are disabled.
His contributions to the local community were recognised in 1995 by the award of the Order of the Arusha Declaration First Class, presented in person by President Mwinyi.

Employees

Hadija Tamimu

Paulo Agnes

Contacting Shah