Forestry Master Plan
Introduction
The Forestry Sector Masterplan is in support of the Re-imagined Industrial Strategy (RIS) for South Africa (SA), approved by the Government in June 2019. Forestry is also one of the sectors that is being prioritised under the Public Private Growth Initiative (PPGI- a partnership between the National Government and the private sector to stimulate investment.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) put in place the Masterplan process, working together with the sector specific departments. For the forestry sector, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) is the lead department with oversight over both the Masterplan and its implementation.
As DTIC has noted:
“The primary objective of the Masterplan process is to develop an agreed-upon set of actions, with time frames, that all stakeholders in a sector or value-chain commit to implementing for the benefit of the sector or value-chain. The objectives of the Masterplan include encouraging sector growth, investment, job creation and competitiveness.”
Overview of process
The Master Plan focuses on the following sub-sectors of the Forestry value chain:
- Primary sector
- Pulp and paper
- Sawn timber
- Board products
- Utility poles and treated products.
The Forestry Sector Master Plan has been developed using available research and extensive consultations with industry, specialist entities, and the relevant government departments and agencies. The development of the Master Plan included the following steps:
Phase 1
Secondary data analysis and research which resulted in a Research and SWOT Analysis baseline report.
Phase 2
Extensive stakeholder engagements to refine the Goal statement, priority focus areas and outcomes of the Forestry Sector Master Plan, documented in a separate report.
Phase 3
Draft Master Plan report, with focus areas, outcomes and deliverables fully developed, with further
stakeholder engagement.
Phase 4
The Master Plan report completed. During this phase, the deliverables, key actions, Implementation Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan were finalised, with further engagement with those responsible for implementation.
The multi-stakeholder Working Group met and engaged extensively throughout the process, with the Executive Oversight Committee (EOC) responsible for the final approval of this Master Plan. The Master Plan addresses the governance and institutional arrangements and capacity requirements to take forward the Implementation Plan (Annexure A) and the M&E Plan (Annexure B). Institutional arrangements are in Annexure C.
The stakeholder engagement had to accommodate the restrictions of COVID-19, and involved Group VC meetings, interviews, and a survey, including government departments and agencies, labour, small growers and CPAs, industry, as well as development finance, education and skills institutions. Overall, there were more than 119 touch points, with more than 250 entities engaged.
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