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Forest Products News

Timber suitable to help address Covid-19 housing requirement

By: Donna Slater 19th May 2020 In response to government investigating alternative housing solutions for densely populated informal settlements during the Covid-19 pandemic, Sawmilling South Africa (SSA) and the Institute for Timber Construction South Africa (ITC-SA) have approached government with a proposal that timber be... →

Sappi announces €250m senior notes offering

By: Donna Slater 14th May 2020 Pulp and paper company Sappi is offering €250-million of senior notes, due 2025. The notes will be issued by Sappi Papier Holding, a subsidiary of Sappi. →

Mulcher developed for S African conditions

1st May 2020 Local original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) Bell Equipment has developed the Bell M350 Mulcher, which caters to the forestry industry and has been specially geared for South Africa’s hot and dusty climate. This niche solution was developed in consultation with the company’s customer base. →

MULCH ADO The Bell M350 Mulcher is a niche solution developed in consultation with customers from the South African forestry industry

Covid-19 lockdowns, rand depreciation set to accelerate food inflation

By: Rebecca Campbell 24th April 2020 The Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) has, in its latest brief report Food price outlook for Quarter 2 2020 and beyond, warned that food prices in South Africa are set to rise during this, second, quarter of the year. The country’s staple foods – maize, wheat and rice – would not be... →

Sappi starts production of essential medical items, donates to Solidarity Fund

By: Donna Slater 20th April 2020 Pulp and paper producer Sappi Southern Africa has made available several donations of scarce items such as hand sanitiser, face masks, nutritional porridge and paper products, to reduce pressure on the national government’s resources, as well as to support the most vulnerable during the Covid-19... →

Half of South Africans in a ‘precarious nutrition situation’

By: Rebecca Campbell 10th April 2020 Independent research body the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP) has warned that poorer households in South Africa would be put at risk, in terms of both their nutrition and health, if they suffer a fall in their income or an increase in food prices, as a result of measures put in... →

South African production of key foods good to reasonable

By: Rebecca Campbell 10th April 2020 An independent research centre, the Bureau for Food and Agricultural Policy (BFAP), has published an overview of five key foods produced in South Africa, as part of its analysis of the food and agricultural aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. The foods are chicken (meat), maize (grains),... →

ITC-SA puts dormancy on the backburner as it pursues new operating model

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 25th October 2019 The Institute for Timber Construction South Africa (ITC-SA) has reversed its resolution of dormancy following overwhelming feedback from various quarters of the structural timber industry, the full spectrum of its membership and government departments, on the critical role that the institute has... →

How to halt global warming for $300bn

By: Bloomberg 23rd October 2019 $300-billion. That’s the money needed to stop the rise in greenhouse gases and buy up to 20 years of time to fix global warming, according to United Nations climate scientists. It’s the gross domestic product of Chile, or the world’s military spending every 60 days. The sum is not to fund green... →

Strikes characterise difficult trading period for York Timbers

By: Simone Liedtke 30th September 2019 Integrated forestry company York Timbers on Monday reported that its performance in the financial year ended June 30 had been significantly impacted on by strikes, result in 239 lost production days. The company also lost plywood export contracts as a result of the strikes, with operational... →

KAP lifts full-year revenue, but profit tracks lower

By: Schalk Burger 20th August 2019 Diversified industrial company KAP Industrial Holdings has grown its revenue for the financial year ended June 30 by 12% year-on-year to R25.6-billion, but operating profit decreased by 13% to R2.5-billion. In a SENS announcement that contained extracted financial information from the audited... →

Tetra Pak’s innovation engendering sustainability, efficiency in packaging industry

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 15th August 2019 With sustainability at the core of its business, processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak says it is implementing a number of technological innovations and solutions that engender the lowest carbon footprint and highest efficiency. Tetra Pak Southern African MD Stefan Fageräng,... →

Stefan Fageräng

Sappi becomes international stakeholder member of the PEFC

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 1st July 2019 JSE-listed paper and pulp producer Sappi has become an International Stakeholder member of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). This membership aligns with Sappi’s focus on sustainable forest management and responsible procurement throughout its supply and value chains. →

Mondi simplification still expected to be completed this year

By: Simone Liedtke 7th June 2019 LSE- and JSE-listed packaging and paper group Mondi on Friday confirmed that “good progress” was being made in simplifying the company’s corporate structure. This included the processes to obtain the necessary regulatory consents, Mondi said in a statement. →

South African student named among winning wood scientists in global competition

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 15th May 2019 The International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) on Tuesday announced the three global winners of its 2018/19 Blue Sky Young Researchers and Innovation Award. University of Pretoria (UP) Masters student Martin Wierzbicki was selected as a winner along with Elina Pääkkönen, from... →

New products for the agriculture industry being launched

10th May 2019 Engineering components supplier Bearing Man Group (BMG) will be exhibiting at Grain SA’s Nampo Harvest Day this year being held from May 14 to 17, near Bothaville in the Free State. The BMG stand will showcase the company’s range of agricultural components, which has been carefully selected for... →

BOER MAAK N PLAN The Boer Slim/Smart Farming initiative offers a range of products developed with and for local farmers

Biggest Nampo yet boasts 775 stands

By: Halima Frost 10th May 2019 The southern hemisphere’s largest agriculture expo, the Grain SA Nampo Harvest Day, will feature a record-breaking 775 stands, and organiser Grain SA says that all of the stands have now been sold out. The event caters to the South African and Southern Africa farming community and will be held... →

HIGH EXPECTATIONS An aerial view of the continent’s largest agriculture show being held in May

Sappi says dissolving wood pulp prospects remain strong despite near-term pressures

By: Terence Creamer 9th May 2019 Diversified forests products group Sappi is warning of lower full-year earnings, owing to ongoing market weakness for graphic paper, as well as near-term pricing and volume pressures for its expanding dissolving wood pulp business. The company reported a decline second-quarter profit to... →

Equipment supplier to spread its wings outside South Africa

By: Mamaili Mamaila 15th March 2019 Industrial equipment supplier Vermeer will attend The Solar Show Africa 2019 which is combined with the 2019 Power and Electricity World Africa (PEWA) conference at the Sandton Convention Centre on March 26 and 27, 2019. →

SITES ON AFRICA Vermeer aims to penetrate the renewable-energy market in Africa

York expects lower H1 earnings

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 7th March 2019 JSE-listed York Timber expects its earnings per share (EPS) and headline earnings per share (HEPS) to decrease to between 19.4c and 20.7c for the six months ended December 31, 2018, compared with the 28c reported for the six months ended December 31, 2017. The company attributed the lower... →

York Timbers lifts FY18 Ebitda by 12%

By: Simone Liedtke 25th September 2018 Despite challenging market conditions, integrated forestry company York Timbers increased its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) and core earnings by 12% and 59%, respectively, for the full year ended June 30. The company on Tuesday pointed out that the Ebitda... →

Company offers paper alternative to wooden and plastic pallets

17th August 2018 Transport packaging company Kimmo is driving the industry to switch to paper pallets as alternatives to the usual wooden and plastic pallets. The company manufactures paper pallets using honeycomb fibreboard in South Africa. According to the founder of Kimmo Jan Vreken, he discovered honeycomb... →

VISUAL RESEMBLANCE Honeycomb fibreboard technology takes its name from the visual resemblance to a bee’s honeycomb

Company facilitates provincial prosperity

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 20th July 2018 With sustainable woodfibre products and solutions provider Sappi’s KwaZulu-Natal operations contributing about R11.7-billion annually to the province’s economy, the company is pursuing socioeconomic transformation in its communities of operation. “We recognise that transformation is not just a... →

ENTRENCHED PLAYER Sappi Southern Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal operations contribute R11.7-billion to the province’s economy yearly

Sappi to build xylitol, furfural production demo plant

By: Creamer Media Reporter 18th July 2018 Pulp and paper producer Sappi has decided to build a demonstration plant to further scale up its novel Xylex technology for the production of xylitol and furfural. The plant, which will become operational in early 2019, will be located adjacent to the existing sugars and lignin extraction plant... →

Renewability driving forest and paper industry

By: Victor Moolman 30th March 2018 Renewable commercial forests that supply the pulp, paper and board industry with wood fibre provide key environmental services and conserve our indigenous forests, says Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Pamsa) executive director Jane Molony. “Commercially grown trees have helped to... →

Lack of carton collection reduces recycling processes

By: Victor Moolman 30th March 2018 Although paper and plastics packaging company Mpact has been processing liquid packaging successfully, not enough cartons are being collected to use for recycling. “Consumers don’t realise that liquid packaging, such as juice and milk cartons, are actually recyclable. We need to put in an effort... →

Safety solution provided for contractor at Sappi mill

30th March 2018 Rope-access specialist Skyriders has provided a working at height safety solution for a contractor undertaking maintenance at paper and pulp manufacturer Sappi’s Ngodwana pulp and paper mill, in Mpumalanga. The company explains that this follows an earlier successful project in 2016 where it... →

Paper producer to upgrade Mpumalanga mill

By: Victor Moolman 30th March 2018 Pulp and paper producer Sappi will shut down its Ngodwana mill, in Mpumalanga, for four weeks in May, to install new equipment that will decrease bottlenecking. The company will install new machines, and upgrade the wood chipper, fibre line and pulp dryer, says Sappi Southern Africa CEO Alex... →

SAPPI southern Africa CEO Alex Thiel explains what the company is doing and how the paper industry has changed. Camerawork: Nicholas Boyd. Editing: Christo Greyling.

Governance key to boosting intra-Africa timber trade – AfDB report

By: Simone Liedtke 23rd March 2018 A new report by the African Development Bank’s (AfDB’s) African Natural Resources Centre has stressed the importance of forestry governance to boosting intra-African trade of wood products. The report, titled ‘Assessing forest law enforcement, governance and trade in Africa’, was launched on... →

New research facility to unlock economic potential of South Africa’s biomass waste

By: Shirley le Guern 20th March 2018 The Department of Science and Technology and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Tuesday launched a R37.5-million Biorefinery Development Facility (BIDF) in Durban that will bridge the gap between research and development and industrialisation, while helping to rejuvenate... →

Science and Technology Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane and Biorefinery Development Facility group leader Bruce Sithole

Steinhoff sells part of stake in South Africa's KAP to help cut debt

By: Reuters 14th March 2018 Crisis-hit South African retailer Steinhoff raised R3.66-billion ($311-million) from the sale of a 16.7% stake in KAP Industrial, another step in its efforts to shore up its finances and pay down debt. Steinhoff, which has more than 40 retail brands that include Conforama, Poundland and Mattress... →

Trade agreement with the EU a boost for Western Cape exports

By: Kim Cloete 1st March 2018 The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and six countries in Southern Africa has been a boost for the Western Cape, with strong gains for the wine and fishing industries since it came into effect in October 2016. The EPA between the EU and the Southern African Customs... →

SA pulp and paper group moves to consolidate dissolving pulp leadership

By: Anine Kilian 9th February 2018 Pulp and paper producer Sappi plans to significantly expand its operations in South Africa, Europe and the US by 2020, starting with the preparatory work for the potential expansion of its South Africa-based Saiccor dissolving wood pulp (DWP) mill. The South African group supplies about 20% of... →

Zambia says miners must move 30% cargo by railway

By: Reuters 26th January 2018 Mining firms and other bulk cargo firms in Zambia must transport at least 30% of their freight by railway, the government said on Friday, imposing a law to revive the sector. Transport Minister Brian Mushimba told reporters there was evidence of a huge imbalance between use of the road and rail... →

Balancing rules, safety and certification will be key to drone industry success

By: Donna Slater 15th December 2017 The regulations and laws governing access to South African air space for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) are sound and among the “best in the world”, according to Edenvale-based commercial drone operator Visual Air Productions director Stephen Verheul. →

Brown appoints executives at Denel, Safcol and Alexkor

By: Creamer Media Reporter 26th October 2017 Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown has appointed Zwelakhe Ntshepe group CEO of Denel. He joined Denel 21 years ago and most recently served as acting group CEO. →

Photo by Duane Daws
Zwelakhe Ntshepe

Pretoria to host forestry industrialisation conference next month

By: Schalk Burger 29th September 2017 The Forestry Industrialisation Conference, to be hosted by State-owned forestry company Safcol on Oct 4 and 5, will highlight the potential of industrial and commercial forestry and wood products to support economic growth. Safcol chairman Lungile Mabece highlights the decline of commercial... →

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