SA Forestry magazine

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

The Ponsse Oyj Buffalo Planter has landed, and Novelquip’s tech is driving it

Novelquip Forestry (Pty) Ltd, a South African engineering company, and Ponsse, the Finnish manufacturer of forestry machines, launched their new mechanised planting technology, the Buffalo Planter, at Expo Minas Florestal in Brazil in May.

The Ponsse Buffalo Planter was developed by Novelquip Forestry and Ponsse, combining Novelquip’s specialised planting technology with Ponsse’s proven forwarder platform and global distribution network.

This partnership is an example of north-south collaboration, in which a global OEM worked with a specialised technology developer in George in the Southern Cape to bring new solutions to market.

Read more - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/the-ponsse-buffalo-planter-has-landed-and-novelquips-tech-is-driving-it/

28/05/2026

Attention Sawmillers! SPACE NPC is changing its business model and selling the following sawmilling machines.

Please reach out using the information provided on the advertisement. Individual details & machine specifications attached.

25/05/2026

World's first tree harvested by a drone in a real forest.

AirForestry says its drone felled trees in a working production forest and, separately, completed an end-to-end harvest without human control — each a first for the airborne thinning method it has built since 2020. Founded in 2020 by Olle Gelin, Mauritz Andersson, Markus Romar and Caroline Walerud, the company has drawn backing from several of Europe’s largest forest owners. Walerud, who became chief executive in December 2025, has moved AirForestry into a scale-up phase after a €10.3 million seed round led by Northzone late in 2024.

read more on this - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/worlds-first-tree-harvested-by-a-drone-in-a-real-forest-airforestry/

22/05/2026

Increasing land pressure, ecosystem degradation, habitat fragmentation and now a changing climate, mean all landowners now have a role to play in safeguarding biodiversity and ecological resilience says Forestry South Africa (FSA).

“Biodiversity stewardship must extend beyond the boundaries of protected areas,” says Dr Ronald Heath, FSA’s Director of Research and Protection. “Conservation has to happen across entire landscapes, where productive land uses and natural ecosystems coexist and support one another.”

As the world marks the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May, under the United Nations theme, “Acting locally for global impact”, FSA is highlighting how South Africa’s forestry sector is doing precisely this.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/forestry/300000-hectares-and-counting-how-south-africas-forestry-sector-is-quietly-preserving-biodiversity/

20/05/2026

We Are In It Together

I get my weather information from Vox, which always ends with “Whatever the weather, we are in it together.” This statement sums up the emerging themes in this issue. To paraphrase Tatenda Mapeto: nothing happens in a vacuum.

is perhaps the most literal expression of that idea. Forestry South Africa, two South African universities, two Scandinavian universities, and two local biodiversity organisations are partnering on a multidisciplinary, EU-funded project to reframe the future of forestry education — preparing learners of all ages for today’s complex work environment and the one coming next. This is what cross-border, cross-disciplinary, cross-hemisphere collaboration looks like. Congratulations to NMU and Tatenda for driving this crucial project.

The John Deere cover story explains how intelligent forestry machines match performance to the task at hand. But technology only delivers value when the person operating it understands what the data is telling them. Information is powerful when used to stay one step ahead in operations, maintenance planning, and decision-making. The forester, operator, and machine are in it together, too.

David Marks, our prolific correspondent, is adept at researching what he calls “engineered timber curiosities.” This month, he turns his attention to the Morgan motor car, which is retro in design, still custom hand-built with an ash timber frame, yet emphatically a modern vehicle. (I had to pause at a salesperson’s description of the model range. Did you know a manual car is now called an analogue car?) The Morgan is a useful mirror for our industry: rooted in history, still finding new ways to remain relevant.

We also feature the SASDEA conference. Each time I attend an industry gathering, it is clear that the real competitive advantage lies in shared knowledge.

Enjoy the read! - https://www.woodbizafrica.co.za/april-2026-issue-58/

14/05/2026

Attention all foresters! The R&B Timber Group has a versatile timber handling machine to bolster your timber extraction and loading in the field.

For more information, please refer to the contact information on the advertisment.

09/05/2026

Attentional all Furniture Businesses in and around KwaZulu-Natal - now is your chance to take your furniture business to the next level by applying to the eThekwini Furniture Cluster Accelerator today!

Don't miss the opportunity - Apply Today!

https://forms.zohopublic.com/bmanalysts/form/EFCAcceleratorApplicationForm/formperma/1k6fqwlHoCtkxBM2SPJJWWpLLgCzLHkiwjmd_-15FYs

24/04/2026

The Timber Industry Pesticide Working Group (TIPWG) has issued a guidance note clarifying the use of glyphosate for firebreak preparation.

Jacqui Meyer, TIPWG’s Coordinator, says there has not been a new or blanket approval of glyphosate for firebreak preparation. Instead, glyphosate should be regarded as a risk-informed, constrained option to be used only where justified.

Read more - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/fire_prevention/where-do-we-need-glyphosate/

23/04/2026

South Africa's commercial plantation forests are mostly FSC certified. That's not a small thing. It represents a significant and ongoing investment by forest managers in responsible practice, and it's reflected in the cost of the logs leaving those plantations. For foresters, that commitment is well understood. The problem is what happens to it further down the chain.

Read more - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/forestry/the-chain-of-custody-communication-gap-in-south-africa/