South Africa has eleven agricultural training colleges. Only one of them offers a forestry qualification, and it has been doing so since 1930. Fort Cox Agriculture and Forestry Training Institute (FCAFTI), based in Middledrift in the Eastern Cape's Amathole region, occupies an important niche in the country's forestry education landscape.

The Forestry and Natural Resource Management department offers two accredited programmes, a Diploma in Forestry and an Advanced Diploma in Forestry Management.

The qualifications

The Diploma in Forestry (NQF Level 6) is a three-year programme covering the knowledge and practical skills required for a professional forestry career. It serves as the entry point into the second offering, the Advanced Diploma in Forestry Management (NQF Level 7). The advanced diploma is a one-year programme designed for recent graduates and those already working in the sector who want to formalise and advance their expertise.

Both qualifications are accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) through its Higher Education Quality Assurance Committee (HEQC). FCAFTI’s participation in initiatives such as Forest21 further reflects its commitment to strengthening forestry education and aligning graduate competencies with industry expectations.

Research with a purpose

The Advanced Diploma carries a compulsory applied research component that is expected to respond directly to industry needs while accounting for social and environmental realities. The intention is that graduating students contribute something measurable to the industry. The 2025 research project by Inathi Kwezi, supervised by Angel Goldsmith, is a product of exactly this approach: applied, practical, and relevant.

Worth knowing

FCAFTI is not the only institution in South Africa offering forestry diplomas. Nelson Mandela University's George campus (Saasveld) also offers a Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Forestry, among other qualifications. But Fort Cox remains the only agricultural training college doing so, making it the go-to option for students in the Eastern Cape and the other provinces seeking a forestry qualification.

Info: www.fortcox.ac.za