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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

17th March 2026

John Deere celebrates 60 Years of innovation and introduces Africa’s next generation skidders

When John Deere introduced its first purpose-built skidder, the 59 hp JD440, 60 years ago, it marked the beginning of a new chapter in mechanised timber extraction. The legacy continues with the unveiling of the next-generation L-III Series skidders and two larger grapple skidders for Africa: the 848L-III and 948L-III.

11th February 2026

Timing the treatment: Keeping crops healthy in a season of shifts

February doesn't just turn up the heat across South Africa; it turns every field and garden into a battleground against humidity, dry spells and sudden downpours that can appear and vanish just as quickly.

01st December 2025

The STIHL MS 382: Power that pays off

Maximise productivity, reduce downtime, and cut smarter with every shift using the STIHL MS 382 petrol chainsaw while gaining consistent returns through power, efficiency, and durability.

30th November 2025

A new forwarder is a dream come true for EMK Investments

Farming is in Ewald Klingenberg's blood. His family is part of the fifth generation of German settlers who originally came to the southernmost part of the picturesque Mpumalanga Province as missionaries and later began farming a variety of crops and raising cattle.

02nd October 2025

Dalena Wolmarans does it her way

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.

01st October 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.

07th July 2025

John Deere helps you OUTRUN THEM ALL

AFGRI introduces John Deere's new 2144G forestry swing machine - built for the woods. Efficient. Agile. Productive. The John Deere 2144G Swing Machine is changing the way forestry professionals tackle timber harvesting. Purpose-built with insights from the people who live and breathe harvesting, the G-Series machine doesn't just meet expectations, it resets them.

05th July 2025

Winch-assisted Cobras tackle steep slopes in KZN’s Midlands and Zululand

Leading the way in this regard is Ponsse, the Finnish manufacturer that has taken steep slope harvesting to the next level. Key to the success of the Ponsse steep slope machines is the built-in Herzog Synchrowinch that is synchronised with the transmission of the harvester or forwarder, allowing it to automatically spool in and out as the machine works across the slope.

24th June 2025

John Deere brings the new 2144G Tracked Harvester to Southern Africa

John Deere is introducing a lower-cost, purpose-built forestry harvester to the Southern African market. Designed and manufactured in Brazil, the 2144G track-based purpose-built machine has been very successful in harvesting fast-growing, high-yield (FGHY) plantations, which are the backbone of Brazilian and South African forestry. It is around this culture that the 2144G was developed.

13th June 2025

Goobs Forestry loads up on Bell and Kobelco for timber loading contract

Simphiwe hails from a small village called eMakhwabe between Vryheid and Paulpietersburg in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. When he matriculated at the Mantshinga Combined School in Paulpietersburg in 2007, there was no money for him to continue his education. He worked for a while as an intern with a large timber-growing and paper and pulp company. The same company would later sponsor his tertiary education in forestry.

12th June 2025

PlantMax – The future is here!

One of the most talked-about demonstrations at Elmia Wood 2025 came from Swedish firm PlantMa Forestry AB, which held its European premiere of the PlantMax dual soil prep and mechanised tree planting solution – the machine that "everyone has heard of, but no one has seen".

12th June 2025

A vibrant Elmia Wood 2025 bodes well

Elmia Wood 2025 brought together forestry professionals from around the world to the forest of Bratteborg, just outside Jönköping, Sweden. A total of 27,751 visitors from 48 countries and 327 exhibitors from 25 countries enlivened the quiet woods over the three-day show.

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