ForSawn Media, the publisher of WoodBiz Africa, has acquired SA Forestry and its related media offerings, effective 1 September 2024. The merger consolidates the efforts of both platforms into a new brand, symbolising our enhanced capacity to serve the forestry and wood products sector.
SA Forestry is an iconic brand and an invaluable voice and record of the development of the forestry industry in Southern Africa. SA Forestry’s long-time editor, Chris Chapman, is the Contributing Editor and part of the team ensuring a seamless transition and continuity in the quality of content you have come to expect.
WoodBiz Africa’s strength lies in its expanding audience of architects, engineers, designers, developers and suppliers in the built environment while serving foresters, sawmillers, wood processors, kitchen, furniture and shopfitting manufacturers, researchers, engineered timber products producers and the woody biomass industry.
WoodBiz Africa & SA Forestry presents comprehensive and insightful coverage of the circular forest-based bioeconomy in Africa. We are committed to delivering the best content about and for our sector.
What a month it’s been! The sector has been buzzing with activity.
The FSA AGM remains one of those events that lift the spirits each year. This time around, we had Rudi Dicks from the Office of the President delivering a compelling keynote on Operation Vulindlela’s progress, accelerating structural reforms, and supporting our economic recovery. It’s always encouraging to hear about tangible progress on this front.
The AGM also gave us some exciting industry news, with Mondi unveiling Project Masilela, their ambitious biomass-to-energy plant planned for Richards Bay.
Speaking of progress, the skills development space is heating up. We’re seeing some substantial investments here, including R20 million in FP&MSeta funding for FSA’s unemployed forestry graduates programme. Then there’s Sappi’s new Forestry Skills Centre in Richmond, plus their partnership with Agricolleges to roll out online forestry courses. They’ve introduced four courses so far, but I’d keep an eye on this space – there’s clearly more to come.
On the equipment front, AFGRI Group’s acquisition of Mascor’s John Deere dealerships across KwaZulu-Natal and the Mpumalanga Lowveld is significant news. Bell announced the launch of its 2006AF Haulage Tractor in response to customer demand for increased power.
Speaking of Bell, we catch up with harvesting contractor Wes Redinger, who’s been putting a Bell Skogger through its paces in the Weza area for the past two years. His insights into how it’s transformed their harvesting and extraction operations make for compelling reading.
May also brought us those major biennial European trade shows that so many in our industry look forward to. interzum in Cologne drew our furniture designers, interior specialists, and upholsterers. LIGNA, held in Hannover the following week, attracted sawmillers, panel producers, woodworkers, and mass timber manufacturers. We’re covering interzum in this issue, with our comprehensive LIGNA 2025 review coming your way in June.
By Chris Chapman The 23rd Forestry South Africa AGM provided fascinating insights into how the public and private sectors are chipping away at the structural reforms and investments required to spark an exciting phase of…
As cosy nights and warm drinks become the norm this South African winter, we face a critical, less welcome seasonal threat: wildfires. Dry air, dormant vegetation, and fierce winds turn harmless debris into explosive fuel,…
John Deere’s next generation of 1270H and 1470H wheeled harvesters are equipped with many improvements designed to boost productivity, reduce fuel consumption, and enhance operator comfort, all while standing up to the rugged demands of…
By Chris Chapman Winch-assisted steep slope harvesting has come to South Africa for the first time, with two Ponsse Cobra wheeled harvesters doing the business in the KZN Midlands and Melmoth in Zululand. The harvesters…
By Joy Crane The 2025 Precision Forestry Symposium focused on the application of innovative technologies, open-source and specialised software, and artificial intelligence (AI) to plan, manage and monitor operations from nursery to logyard. The Department…
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