Operation Vulindlela Raises Hope For Rail Reform
Operation Vulindlela Raises Hope For Rail Reform South Africa moves too much freight by road rather than rail. This is a financial burden for businesses with large volume haulage, such as timber. With fuel-price volatility continuing, businesses are watching the country’s embattled rail system and asking when it will improve. Progress has begun. Rail reform […]
Global Softwood Supply Growth Set to Lag Demand Through 2035
Global Softwood Supply Growth Set to Lag Demand Through 2035 Global softwood markets are entering a period of tighter supply. Softwood roundwood supply has remained essentially flat since 2000 despite continued growth in overall roundwood production, and is forecast to increase by only about 0.5% annually through 2035. At the same time, demand for construction […]
Arxada Provides Update on Transaction Support Agreement
Arxada Provides Update on Transaction Support Agreement Herens Midco S.à r.l. (“Arxada” or the “Company”) is pleased to report that the amendments to the transaction support agreement (“TSA”) announced on June 22, 2026 (the “TSA Amendment”) related to its recapitalization and amend & extend transaction originally announced on May 12, 2026 (the “A&E Transaction”) have […]
New outlook report: Global Softwood Timber Supply – Latin America, Asia and Oceania
New outlook report: Global Softwood Timber Supply – Latin America, Asia and Oceania Softwood markets across Latin America and the Asia-Pacific are approaching a turning point. Some of the world’s lowest-cost plantation producers are increasingly linked to major importing markets where domestic supply growth is limited. With harvests expected to decline in key exporting regions, China […]
Is the Informal Economy Mopping Up Unemployment?
Is the Informal Economy Mopping Up Unemployment? One in every three South Africans is unemployed. That’s the official tally – 32.7%, to be exact – based on the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q1-2026. It is the worst unemployment rate among major economies and one of the world’s highest. But is that number exaggerated? Capitec […]
Why service Support is a Real Differentiator in a Cost-Contrained Market
Why service Support is a Real Differentiator in a Cost-Contrained Market It usually happens at the worst possible time. The team is ready. The day’s work has been planned. Customers are waiting. Deadlines are tight. Then a machine that worked perfectly the day before refuses to start. In that moment, downtime becomes very real. And […]
Rattan Reimagined: The Women Who Changed What a Forest Product Could Be
Rattan Reimagined: The Women Who Changed What a Forest Product Could Be For the Dayak communities of Borneo, rattan has always been part of daily life and ceremony. The climbing cane grows only where the forest is healthy, which makes it something worth protecting. PT. IGP International was built on that understanding, and on the […]
The Hidden Start of Your Wardrobe
The Hidden Start of Your Wardrobe From forest plantation to fashion: the hidden start of your wardrobe Madelaine Fourie, General Brand Manager – Sappi Verve What we wear every day is the result of a global supply chain few people ever see – one that often begins far earlier than most realise and increasingly raises […]
Rising Diesel Prices Spark a Shift in Forest & Garden Sector Strategy
Rising Diesel Prices Spark a Shift in Forest & Garden Sector Strategy In the forestry, landscaping and garden sector, diesel does not just power machines. It moves teams, transports equipment, delivers stock, keeps contractors on site and service networks running. In South Africa, as in much of the world, fuel prices have reached unprecedented levels […]
Europe and Russia: A Region of Contrasts Shaping Global Softwood Markets
Europe and Russia: A Region of Contrasts Shaping Global Softwood Markets Europe and Russia account for roughly 43% of global industrial roundwood supply. However, the outlook differs significantly between Russia, the Nordics, the Baltics, and Central Europe, reflecting differences in forest resources, harvest intensity, industry structure, and exposure to forest damage. Our latest report, “Global […]
New Report: Global Softwood Timber Outlook – 1. North America
New Report: Global Softwood Timber Outlook – 1. North America By Håkan Ekström, Global Wood Trends (Seattle, USA), and Glen O’Kelly, O’Kelly Acumen (Stockholm, Sweden) North America accounts for roughly one-third of the global softwood supply. On the surface, that scale suggests the region should play a central role in meeting future demand. But a […]
Message From The FSA Executive Director’s Desk
Message From The FSA Executive Director’s Desk Welecome to the first edition of Forestry in Focus for 2026 and as Ronald mentioned in his foreword, what an unpredictable and challenging three months we have had. 9TH JAN NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY APPOINTMENT Some encouraging appointments have been made to the National Prosecuting Authority and to the […]
No Easy Fix To The Fuel Price Problem
No Easy Fix To The Fuel Price Problem Like all industries, the timber trade has been deeply affected by the sudden spike in fuel prices. Since the United States and Israel began their attack on Iran on 28 February, global oil prices have increased by 40% or more. The result is soaring petrol and diesel […]
Forests And The Economy: Planting The Seeds Of A Circular Future
Forests And The Economy: Planting The Seeds Of A Circular Future This year’s International Day of Forests theme, Forests and the Economy, speaks directly to the global imperative to build a sustainable, circular and genuinely green economy. This is not a marginal adjustment to our economic model. It is a fundamental shift that must take […]
Competing In A Tighter Market: Why Verified Sourcing Is Becoming A Commercial Asset
Competing In A Tighter Market: Why Verified Sourcing Is Becoming A Commercial Asset Competing in a tighter market: why verified sourcing is becoming a commercial asset By Benjamin Rafemoyo | Market Development Officer, FSC Southern Africa South Africa’s structural lumber market has had a strong run. Prices have risen well ahead of inflation over the […]
Mondi Launches Its 2025 Integrated And Sustainable Development Reporting Suite
Mondi Launches Its 2025 Integrated And Sustainable Development Reporting Suite Mondi’s 2025 Integrated and Sustainable Development reporting suite is now available, providing a clear view of our financial performance, strategic progress and the steps we are taking to meet our sustainability commitments. Our 2025 Integrated reportoutlines how we continue to create long‑term value by innovating with […]
From Risk to Resilience: Strengthening the Timber Industry Together
From Risk to Resilience: Strengthening the Timber Industry Together It is mind-blowing that we have come to the end of March, with first quarter of 2026 behind, and for those of you with kids in school, the end of Term 1. I suppose we have had many distractions, both locally and globally, with the antics by […]
Arxada Awarded Nearly $70M as Court Enters Final Judgment in Trade Secret and M&A Noncompetition Case
Arxada Awarded Nearly $70M as Court Enters Final Judgment in Trade Secret and M&A Noncompetition Case The Court’s order provides for full damages and injunctive relief to protect Arxada’s business interests and operational integrity due to Defendants’ trade secret misappropriation and multiple violations of restrictive covenants. Arxada announced that, on March 13, 2026, the Delaware […]
More than trees: How South Africa’s Forestry Sector Grows The Economy
More than trees: How South Africa’s Forestry Sector Grows The Economy South Africa’s forestry sector contributes an estimated R8 billion to the country’s GDP, while supporting more than 150 000 jobs and livelihoods – many of them in rural areas where economic opportunities are limited. Beyond its direct contribution, the sector supports a further R58 […]
National Water Week – Sappi And WWF Partnership Offers Blueprint For SA’s Bio-Economy
National Water Week – Sappi And WWF Partnership Offers Blueprint For SA’s Bio-Economy Sappi and WWF South Africa champion water management as key to bio-economy resilience As water security moves to the centre of South Africa’s economic agenda, the strategic management of water resources has become critical for stakeholders in both the public and private […]
Driving the Forest-Based Bioeconomy: A Call to Action from the Private Forest-based Sector
Driving the Forest-Based Bioeconomy: A Call to Action from the Private Forest-based Sector Forest-based value chains represent the most advanced and scalable foundation of the global bioeconomy. Through sustainably managed forests and efficient, circular use of biomass, the sector delivers renewable materials, carbon storage & material substitution, biodiversity co-benefits, and quality employment, particularly in rural areas. Recognizing and strengthening […]
NCT General Manager Update
NCT General Manager Update The Exchange Rate and its real impact on NCT Few variables shape the fortunes of South African export industries as powerfully — or as unpredictably — as the exchange rate. For NCT and its growers, the strength or weakness of the South African rand (ZAR) against the US dollar (USD) influences […]
Unlocking The Chemistry Of Trees To Build A Sustainable Future
Unlocking The Chemistry Of Trees To Build A Sustainable Future After more than two decades immersed in the forestry sector, I have witnessed first‑hand how the science of trees continues to reveal new dimensions of value. From the molecular complexity of cellulose and lignin to the innovations reshaping fibre utilisation, this journey has been one […]
Momentum for South Africa and for Forestry is Building
Momentum for South Africa and for Forestry is Building As has been the norm for the past few years, 2025 presented our Industry and the world, with a fresh set of challenges. The most glaring of these in the global context, has been the second term of office of the convicted criminal and President of […]
