14th June 2026

STIHL’s BR Backpack Blowers are built for fire management

When you need to slow or stop the spread of fire, you need to remove the fuel. This is where professionals rely on the STIHL BR range of backpack blowers to clear combustible material and create effective fire breaks.

03rd June 2026

The Ponsse Buffalo Planter has landed, and Novelquip’s tech is driving it

Novelquip Forestry, a South African engineering company, and Ponsse, the Finnish manufacturer of forestry machines, launched their new mechanised planting technology, the Buffalo Planter, at Expo Minas Florestal in Brazil in May.

25th May 2026

World's first tree harvested by a drone in a real forest - AirForestry

AirForestry says its drone felled trees in a working production forest and, separately, completed an end-to-end harvest without human control — each a first for the airborne thinning method it has built since 2020.

22nd May 2026

300,000 hectares and counting: How South Africa's forestry sector is quietly preserving biodiversity

Biodiversity stewardship must extend beyond the boundaries of protected areas,” says Dr Ronald Heath, FSA’s Director of Research and Protection. “Conservation has to happen across entire landscapes, where productive land uses and natural ecosystems coexist and support one another.

06th May 2026

Furniture Design Competition winners announced

The Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), Alexandra Abrahams, presented the keynote address and announced the winners of the prestigious annual Furniture Design Competition. The Student category was won by Elani Bothman of Potchefstroom Academy, Northwest Province and the Established Manufacturer category by Leago Lekganyane of Mtheza Legacy Holdings Centurion, Gauteng.

06th May 2026

NCT’S RECOVERY: Bell water tankers inform NCT’s new fire station capacity

Throughout history, fires have caused widespread devastation and loss. In late September 2023, the NCT Forestry Co-operative Limited (NCT) mill in Richards Bay experienced this firsthand when strong winds, low humidity, and high temperatures combined to create ideal conditions for a fire that raged for more than ten days.

29th April 2026

STIHL marks 100 years globally and 30 years in South Africa with renewed local investment

When STIHL marks one hundred years in business, it does so from a position few in the forestry equipment sector can match

21st April 2026

The Chain of Custody communication gap in South Africa

South Africa's commercial plantation forests are mostly FSC certified. That's not a small thing. It represents a significant and ongoing investment by forest managers in responsible practice

21st April 2026

Fort Cox: Where forestry and agriculture training meet

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.

21st April 2026

NCT Richards Bay rebuilds with Bell after massive fire

Described as “a multi-billion-rand catastrophe”, the September 2023 at the NCT mill in Richards Bay destroyed tonnes of wood chips and round logs, damaged the wattle and Eucalyptus chip lines, and equipment, including a Bell L1506 wheeled loader, an old Bell Haulage Tractor and logger, and a tracked Kobelco Excavator with a timber grab that had been purchased four years earlier.

21st April 2026

SA’s URUS Tightline TL3021 winch-assist powers steep-slope harvesting

A report by Urus Equipment Nine months into full operation in Mondi’s Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal plantations, the URUS TL3021 Winch Assist

21st April 2026

Why the Hitachi BX100 Backhoe loader is a true timberland asset

The Hitachi BX100 Backhoe Loader from Hitachi Construction Machinery may traditionally sit within the construction segment, yet in plantations, it is a capable multi-functional workhorse.

21st April 2026

The ABC of biomass recycling

Africa Biomass Company (ABC) understands the operational challenges of wood recycling and, since 2004, has been at the forefront of developments in biomass recycling and a market-leading equipment supplier and contractor to the forestry and agriculture industries.

16th April 2026

Where do we need glyphosate?

The Timber Industry Pesticide Working Group (TIPWG) has issued a guidance note clarifying the use of glyphosate for firebreak preparation.

16th April 2026

Welverdiend Forestry opts for TimberPro

A highly experienced Mpumalanga-based forestry contractor has taken delivery of a TimberPro harvesting and forwarding system to boost productivity on a pine-harvesting contract for Sappi Forests.

16th April 2026

Afrequip drives forestry performance through partnership and precision

In the demanding, ever-evolving landscape of Southern Africa’s forestry sector, operational efficiency, reliability, and strong technical support are essential. AfrEquip, a specialist supplier and support partner, has spent over two decades refining its role within the industry.

16th April 2026

Who is Inathi Kwezi?

Inathi Kwezi is a young forestry professional who has completed her Advanced Diploma in Forestry Management at Fort Cox Agriculture and Forestry Training Institute. She is currently working as a forest intern under the FSA Forestry Graduate Employment programme.

16th April 2026

The effect of Mycorrhizal Fungi inoculation on the growth rate of Eucalyptus Grandis seedlings at SA Fine-Tuned nursery in Stutterheim

Forestry contributes significantly to South Africa’s economy, providing raw materials for domestic and international markets. Among many species, Eucalyptus grandis is valued for its rapid growth, adaptability, and high-quality wood.

31st March 2026

Sawblades and Retipping Costs are Surging and It Will Get Worse

Sawmillers and woodworkers across South Africa are already experiencing sharp increases in sawblade and retipping costs. But speakers at the South African Saw Doctors Education Association (SASDEA) conference, echoed by Sawmilling South Africa Executive Director Roy Southey, warn that this is not temporary. It marks the start of a sustained structural rise.

31st March 2026

Opportunities for Southern African timber exporters?

Stricter CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulations on African tropical hardwoods are creating market gaps that plantation-grown timber

30th March 2026

CUTTING IT FINE: March can be your garden’s make-or-break month

Most of us love the idea of a beautiful garden. In reality, life gets busy. One week of rain becomes three. The hedges get a little wild, the shrubs start spilling over, and suddenly the garden feels like something you need to catch up on.

18th March 2026

Bell TF302E ticks all the boxes for Welverdiend Forestry

For a short-haul timber contractor to remain competitive, it is beneficial to have a dual-purpose vehicle capable of loading and unloading itself both in the field and at roadside depots, with the ability to drive on public roads being an additional advantage.

18th March 2026

Call for abstracts for 5th International Fire Congress

The 5th International Congress on Fire in the Earth System: Humans and Nature (fEs2026) will be held 4 – 6 November 2026 at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park. Dr Tiaan Poole, Head of the Department of Forestry and Wood Technology at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) says that the 2025 congress, which was held in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal, decided this year’s event will be different.

17th March 2026

Focus on Forestry 2026: The Value of Forestry in a Greening Economy

Against this backdrop, CMO, Nelson Mandela University and Forestry South Africa will host Focus on Forestry 2026 under the theme: The Value of Forestry in a Greening Economy.

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