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SA Forestry magazine

Forestry magazine in southern Africa SA Forestry magazine is a bi-monthly magazine serving the forestry industry of southern Africa from seedling to sawmill.

Topics include: silviculture, harvesting, extraction, timber haulage & handling, contracting services, sawmilling and R&D.

17/12/2024

Forestry at scale in Brazil

Because of the scale of their activities, Brazil's forest owners increasingly rely on automated nurseries and mechanised planting. For them, nursery production automation is not a matter of whether it can be applied but rather when it will be used.

https://www.woodbizafrica.co.za/october-2024-issue-42/ -2024-issue-42/28/

13/12/2024

The journey to modern silviculture systems

Silviculture 4.0 was hosted by Nelson Mandela University (NMU's) Forsilvitech, represented by Ellepot South Africa's Shaun Biggs and Dr Muedanyi Ramantswana of NMU. Modernisation and automation of silviculture operations, global trends, soil preparation for planting, planting systems, weeding, fertilising, remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and productivity were the main topics under the microscope.

https://www.woodbizafrica.co.za/october-2024-issue-42/ -2024-issue-42/22/

11/12/2024

Innovative and appropriate technologies: nursery to field

The first in-person silviculture symposium with the theme "Silviculture 4.0: Smart technology from nursery to field" attracted over 200 delegates from Southern and East Africa. They gathered in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), to meet local and international presenters from Denmark, Brazil, Sweden, Netherlands, Uruguay, and New Zealand.

https://www.woodbizafrica.co.za/october-2024-issue-42/ -2024-issue-42/18/

25/11/2024

Zero+: Net Zero Today, Climate Positive Tomorrow

A host of prominent speakers, including former Eskom CEO and author André de Ruyter, venture capitalist Michael Jordaan and human rights and environmental activist Kumi Naidoo, addressed the Green Building Council South Africa's (GBCSA) 17th convention in Cape Town in November.

The three-day convention gathered the top role players in sustainability in the built environment under the banner of Zero+: Net Zero Today, Climate Positive Tomorrow.

The GBCSA Convention is an annual gathering of industry experts, innovators, and thought leaders to discuss the built environment, environmental sustainability, and climate change. The convention aims to promote the concept of climate positivity for the built environment and chart a course for the goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/editors_choice/zero-net-zero-today-climate-positive-tomorrow/

25/11/2024

South Africa's forestry industry advances the UN’s SDGs

COP16 is underway in Colombia, with land use as a central theme. In this context, South Africa's forestry sector is pivotal in delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including life on land, climate action, responsible consumption and production, decent work and economic growth, and partnerships.

As an anchor tenant in several rural areas, the South African forestry industry optimises land use and management. It ensures responsible environmental stewardship, biodiversity preservation, rural development, and the source of renewable harvested wood products that feed into countless industries.

These actions contribute to achieving national climate and biodiversity targets, support livelihoods and alleviate poverty. Linked to this are human health and wellbeing, and inclusive participation.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/forestry_around_the_world/south-africas-forestry-industry-advances-the-uns-sdgs/

25/11/2024

Call for comments on Phase 2 of the Carbon Tax

The South African National Treasury has published a discussion document for public comment on Phase 2 of the Carbon Tax. Phase 2 covers 2026 to 2035 and considers the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).

Stakeholders are invited to submit written comments on the draft proposals to [email protected] by the close of business on 13 December 2024.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/top-articles/carbon-tax/

25/11/2024

Fire symposium: Burning issues on the agenda

The 14th Fire Management Symposium, held in Karkloof in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands, was well attended by FPA managers, firefighters, land managers, foresters, researchers and trainers, once again proving its worth as the country’s premier fire indaba.

Karkloof was an appropriate venue for the event, as it is located in the heart of the midlands forestry belt that has had its share of destructive wildfires over the years. However, the rain and mist that persisted throughout the symposium meant there was no chance that participants would be called out to attend to a fire emergency, so they stayed through the three days networking and engaging with a wide range of issues raised by presenters.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/fire-symposium-burning-issues-on-the-agenda/

25/11/2024

Fire Symposium revisits the “great woodchip fire” of 2023

NCT has never had a fire on their woodchip piles since the establishment of its operations in 1949. Then, the unexpected happened at 12.44 pm on the last day of September 2023.

A tiny wisp of smoke detected on chip pile number one signalled the start of a massive fire which raged for 10 days straight, destroying two huge chip piles, conveyors and infrastructure at NCT’s mill at Richards Bay. No matter how much resources they threw at the fire, it kept burning.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/fire-symposium-revisits-the-great-woodchip-fire-of-2023/

25/11/2024

Fire Symposium Field Day

The field day included many live demos on a sugar farm hosted by the uMshwathi Fire Protection Association (FPA) and static displays at the Shafton air base in Karkloof.

Unfortunately, the weather was cold, wet and misty. Still, it did not deter attendees from engaging with equipment and service providers and networking with colleagues.

21/11/2024

SA pine mass timber used to build four storey Zanzibar building

The superstructure for the four-storey CheiChei Living building, which is Africa's first cross-laminated timber (CLT) hybrid structure with more than two levels has been completed and fit-out is well underway. The first residents are scheduled to move-in early in the second quarter of 2025.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/sa-pine-mass-timber-used-to-build-four-storey-zanzibar-building/

20/11/2024

NCT Forestry organised an informative field day in October for its members and farmers in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands region. Terry Wolhuter of Elands Spruit Farm in New Hanover hosted the event.

The theme for the day was 'Back to Basics', meaning it is crucial to focus on getting the basic principles of tree farming right to ensure the health of your trees and to get a return on your investment.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/back-to-basics-focus-for-kzn-wattle-growers/

18/11/2024

In the right hands, wattle trees are true champion trees, giving commercial and small-scale growers multiple product options. Unmanaged, these prolific seeders can spread far and wide across the hills and valleys, negatively impacting biodiversity and using up scarce water resources.

However, when managed correctly in a plantation or woodlot environment, they are among the most productive and useful commercial tree species. Wattle is a great crop for small-scale tree farmers operating on tribal land.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/uncategorized/wattle-champion-trees-when-properly-managed/

18/11/2024

Clinton Fielies was born in the Garcia forestry village 39 years ago. He grew up in one of the classic wooden bosbou (forestry) houses around the corner from where he lives today with his wife and children. After working for MTO Group as a chainsaw operator in the Western Cape for many years, he says he decided to think “buite die blikkie” (outside the box).

With MTO’s help and ongoing advice he registered his business, CP Firewood. Today he employs about 10 people and supplies packs of firewood to shops and restaurants in Riversdale, and his Garcia community.

13/11/2024

The SA forestry and forest products sector marks 15 years of transformation

The Forest Sector Charter Council (FSCC) marks a decade and a half of overseeing and reporting the forestry and forest products sector's progress in achieving its Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) codes of good practice targets.

The B-BBEE Act aims to advance economic transformation and enhance the economic participation of black people in the South African economy. The FSCC was established through the Forest Sector Code. Its mandate is to oversee transformation in the forestry sector's growers, contractors, fibre (pulp and paper), sawmilling, poles and charcoal industries.

The council consists of industry, government, community and labour representatives. It reports to the ministries of forestry, fisheries and the environment (DFFE) and trade, industry and competition (DTIC). It is chaired by Nelly Ndlovu, CEO of Mondi Zimele.

Forestry South Africa (FSA), Sawmilling South Africa (SSA), and other industry bodies encourage its members to continue reporting on B-BBEE and to share their certificates and underlying reports with the FSCC. The council's annual status report is the only truly objective means of assessing transformation in the sector, and it is critical to prevent selective and biased reports or generalisations about the sector from being made.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/women_in_sa_forestry/the-sa-forestry-and-forest-products-sector-marks-15-years-of-transformation/

13/11/2024

The Shire Eco Lodge and nursery focuses on sustainability

Rob Scott, owner of The Shire Eco Lodge near Stutterheim, says the curved shape of the chalets is unlike standard timber buildings and posed so many problems that it took over a year to complete the shell of the first lodge.

Rob's reliance on buying sawn timber from suppliers sparked the idea of getting a sawmill to produce sawn timber. It was further strengthened by the uncommon widths and thicknesses needed for the curved and bent components of the chalets.

He decided to invest in a Wood-Mizer LT15GO portable sawmill, which lets him move it to wherever it's needed to cut fallen hardwoods and invasive alien trees.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/indigenous/the-shire-eco-lodge-and-nursery-focuses-on-sustainability/

24/10/2024

Stellenbosch University's Department of Forestry and Wood Science's Scovia Akello, a PhD student supervised by Prof. Brand Wessels since 2021, won the 2024 She is Forestry Postgraduate Award.

Brand nominated Scovia for being "an integral part of the department's social fabric," for her initiative, tenacity in facing challenges, and academic excellence.

https://saforestryonline.co.za/women_in_sa_forestry/scovia-akello-wins-the-she-is-forestry-postgrad-award/

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