SA Forestry magazine

21/10/2025

🌲Welcome to the latest edition of your sector’s magazine.

The Growing Timber Connections conference, Timber Construction Colloquium, and tour of the University of Pretoria's Engineering 4.0 Timber Laboratory demonstrated something crucial: the supply chain from plantation to construction site is ready. This collaborative academic platform, driven by UP’s York Timbers Chair, connects commercial timber growers with , , , and with the government and private sector supply chains.

Catch up these stories and more, by reading the online mag, or dowload it to read at your leisure - https://www.woodbizafrica.co.za/september-2025-issue-52/

16/10/2025

When Knysna’s woodcutters cut wood

Adam Stander was born in the Knysna forest in 1928 and given two birth days, 22 November, when his name was carved on a tree to note his birth and 28 November, the day his woodcutter father travelled into town and registered his son’s birth.

The Knysna forest, which forms part of the “Garden Route” on South Africa’s southern coastline, was historically significant from colonial times as a natural timber resource used for fuelwood, construction, shipbuilding, furniture, and other purposes.

Read more - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/when-knysnas-woodcutters-cut-wood/

08/10/2025

New Interim Forest Stewardship Standard for Zimbabwe

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has released the new Interim Forest Stewardship Standard (IFSS) for Zimbabwe, which incorporates the FSC's latest Principles and Criteria for effective forest management. The standard will take effect on 1 January 2026.

The scope of the Zimbabwe standard encompasses plantation and indigenous forests. It includes large-scale and small- or low-intensity managed forests (SLIMFs). Producers of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are also catered for.

Read more - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/new-interim-forest-stewardship-standard-for-zimbabwe/

02/10/2025

Dalena Wolmarans’ entrepreneurial journey in Knysna is remarkable. Not only has she been running three successful companies since 1993, but she is also a truck driver, sawmill operator, wife, and proud mother of two daughters.

She runs the businesses established by her father, Adam Stander, back in 1950, namely Adam Stander Houtverkope (timber sales), a sawmill and AJJ Stander Vervoer (transport).

In 1993, 16 months after Dalena finished a Diploma in Tourism, Adam had a stroke, and she returned home to take over running the company with her brother. She acquired her heavy vehicle driving licence at the age of 21 and started driving the company’s trucks.

Read more - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/dalena-wolmarans-does-it-her-way/

01/10/2025

The future of forestry: How drones are set to transform the industry

As we look towards the future of forestry operations, one technology is emerging as a true game-changer: drones. In the next five years, we can expect drone technology to transform forest management by integrating precision applications and advanced spatial analytics, enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and data-driven decision-making.

Read the full story - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/the-future-of-forestry-how-drones-are-set-to-transform-the-industry/

29/09/2025

The forestry sector celebrated exceptional female excellence at the 2025 She is Forestry South Africa Awards. The annual awards are presented during the She is Forestry annual online gathering during Women’s Month in August.

Several women were nominated for each category; however, only one could be selected. All were recognised for their individual achievements, being inspiring role models and contributing to the leadership and growth of the sector.

Read the full story - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/she-is-forestry-sa-2025-awards-winners/

27/09/2025

NCT Commercial Tree Farmer of the Year 2025: The Crowe family's Fairfield Estate

NCT's annual recognition of commercial growers farming their land responsibly and sustainably has become a benchmark achievement for the cooperative's members. Fairfield Estate, owned and managed by Matthew Crowe and his wife Karien, was announced the winner of the annual Commercial Tree Farmer of the Year award at NCT's recent annual general meeting.

Matthew is the fourth generation of the Crowe family farming the 1,127-hectare estate in Sevenoaks in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands, South Africa.

Family values are essential for Matthew and Karien. "It brings me immense joy that our sons, Jasper and Felix, share the same love for the land. Watching them grow into the rhythm of farm life is one of my proudest experiences, and I hope to one day pass on Fairfield to them, just as it was passed down to me," Matthew comments.

Read the full story - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/nct-commercial-tree-farmer-of-the-year-2025-the-crowe-familys-fairfield-estate/

26/09/2025

23/09/2025

Congratulations, Godi Nsele: NCT's 2025 Small-scale Tree Farmer of the Year

Godi Isaac Nsele, an agroforestry farmer from Manguzi in KwaZulu-Natal, was chosen as NCT's 2025 Small Grower Tree Farmer of the Year. The award recognises exceptional silvicultural and operational practices and environmental management.

Read the full story - https://saforestryonline.co.za/articles/congratulations-godi-nsele-ncts-2025-small-scale-tree-farmer-of-the-year/

11/09/2025

Welcome to the latest edition of your sector’s magazine.

This month, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of HDS Cut & Edge, the retail outlet division of The FX Group. Their success reflects resilience, determination, and the ability to adapt in challenging social and marketing conditions.

Resilience and determination were also key themes in Hlengiwe Ndlovu’s speech at the annual She Is Forestry event, which was enjoyed by nearly 400 online attendees in August, National Women’s Month. Nelly is the CEO of Mondi Zimele and head of the Forestry Sector Charter Council. Over the past few years, the focus of the She Is Forestry SA event has shifted from celebrating women in forestry to discussing and spotlighting role models featured in educational videos, and now to launching the Mentor Me initiative. These videos aim to inspire young girls who are considering their career options. The Mentor Me initiative is a vital five-year-long programme focusing on personal and professional development. It will be an online resource for women carving a niche for themselves in South Africa’s forestry and wood-based industries. The resource hub will include talks by thought-leading women, videos, book suggestions and other advice and tools to support people who are passionate about making a difference in the sector.

Earlier this year, we interviewed Erika du Toit, a sawmiller from Mkhondo, and this month we share an article about Dalena Wolmarans, who has managed the family sawmill and timber transport businesses in Knysna for many years. The Stander family has owned these businesses for decades, and Dalena continues to build on their strong foundation through her leadership.

We also congratulate Godli Ntsele and the Crowe family of Fairfield Estate, who were chosen as Tree Farmers of the Year by the National Captive Timber Growers (NCT). Their recognition highlights the critical contribution of responsible tree farming to the forestry industry in South Africa.

Read online or download your copy - https://www.woodbizafrica.co.za/august-2025-issue-51/