What was just a hobby is now a flourishing business. The art of braiding leather whips was once sought after and yet a custom which was scarcely passed on from one generation to the next. For Gerhard van Zyl this passion had long since been extinguished and while practicing the art he came to realize that the fascination with this old tradition was still very much alive.  Gerhard does not only braid his own whips but also encourages others to braid  whips and trains them to crack the whip. He boasts a number of his own accolades in this sport, one could say leather runs in his veins! His desire to work with leather did not end there: - whips require long strands of leather leaving large sections of the hide unused. These off cuts gave birth to hand crafted 3D animal shaped key holders, customized wild-life designed key holders and a number of other high quality products over the years including hats, belts  and bags. We at Sweepwinkel enjoy adding value, not only to our leather, but also to our staff and are they trained in design and machine work through our skills development program. 

Our products are proudly South African made with excellent craftsmanship and timeless quality.