On 30 September, Winklmayr Leathercraft took part in the Concierge Forum , and it was one of the most valuable rooms we’ve been in this year.

Concierges are the quiet curators of a city. When a hotel guest asks where to find something truly special, it’s a concierge who decides where to send them. Meeting so many of them in one place gave us the chance to share what we make and why it matters.

Winklmayr is a third-generation Austrian leathercraft family, now based in Johannesburg. In our workshop, we handcraft bags and accessories from South African ostrich and crocodile leather. For international visitors, it’s the kind of purchase that carries a story home with it: authentic, local, and made to last.

A few conversations stood out:
• How often guests ask for luxury that is genuinely South African, not a global brand they could buy at home
• The growing demand for meaningful corporate and VIP gifts
• The value of a showroom visit as an experience in itself

Thank you to the organisers, the speakers, and every concierge who stopped by. If you’d like to arrange a showroom visit for your guests or talk about gifting for your property, we’d be glad to hear from you.

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