The role of private landowners in conserving South Africa's wetlands
By Hlengiwe Msibi, Forestry South Africa's Environmental Management Committee Chair
Through active environmental land stewardship, forestry companies play a significant and positive role in conserving key ecosystems like wetlands and threatened, endangered, and endemic species they support.
South Africa's wetlands are biodiversity-rich ecosystems that support various plant and animal life, including endemic and threatened species. By acting as natural water filters, wetlands improve water quality while regulating hydrological cycles, thus helping prevent flash flooding and playing a crucial role in water security.

A 2021 survey of South Africa's forestry landholdings found that more than 300,000 hectares of natural and semi-natural habitats are actively managed and maintained within the forestry landscape. This includes more than 171,000ha of grasslands and their connected wetland systems.
CASE STUDY: Protecting the Long-toed Tree Frog
Sappi's Pinewoods plantation in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, is home to a diverse range of species, including the recently discovered Long-toed Tree Frog (Leptopelis xenodactylus), which is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The frog is distinguished by uniquely long toes and reduced webbing that allows it to navigate grasslands and perch on blades of grass. The presence of Leptopelis signals that the wetlands and grasslands in this forestry area are healthy and support biodiversity. These factors demonstrate that production landscapes and the indigenous regions can coexist, highlighting the potential conservation value of these multifunctional landholdings.
In a forestry context, environmental stewardship is a multifaceted commitment that integrates sustainable management practices with collaborative efforts to restore and reconnect natural habitats and the ecological services they provide.
Such stewardship cannot be done in isolation, as ecological services and natural habitats extend beyond the boundaries of the forestry landscape. It demands collaboration between various public and private stakeholders, individuals and organisations, and active investment in research and innovation to guide and enhance conservation efforts.

Setting international benchmarks
Over 85% of forestry-owned land in South Africa is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), with 40% holding dual certification through the Sustainable African Forestry Assurance Scheme (SAFAS), which is endorsed by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
International certification requires adherence to a suite of sustainable management practices that often surpass national legislative requirements. These include measures designed to prevent forestry operations from encroaching on wetlands, implementing buffer zones to filter out pollutants and sediment, and, where necessary, restorative processes.
Responsible management practices aligned with international certification standards have seen South Africa's forestry sector setting a benchmark for other landowners to proactively manage environmentally sensitive areas within and beyond their boundary lines.
Restoring balance & repairing historical impacts
Over the past three decades, the SA forestry industry has undergone a significant transformation driven by technological advancements, research, and innovation. The evolution has reshaped how the sector thinks, operates and conducts business, focusing on sustainable practices that emphasise environmental and social stewardship.
As part of this shift, hundreds of hectares of trees planted near wetlands before 1972 have been removed in areas where wetlands have been damaged or lost due to historical forestry practices. Restoration projects often undertaken in collaboration with conservation organisations are reviving these ecosystems.

CASE STUDY: Reviving the Karkloof Catchment
The Karkloof catchment is a network of rich wetlands that form part of the water catchment for KZN's greater Durban and Pietermaritzburg areas. It is also highly productive agricultural land, intensively used to produce food and wood fibre.
Approximately 170ha of a larger floodplain wetland at the confluence of the Karkloof, Kusane, and Mnalweni Rivers are owned and managed by Sappi. Over the past century, this area has dramatically transformed from ploughed floodplains in the 1930s to plantation forestry in the 1970s.
However, since the early 1990s, wetland floodplains have been actively restored by removing more than 70ha of planted trees, and since 1998, the implementation of an active management plan for controlled burning, grazing and weeds, like St Joseph Lily and brambles.
Wetland assessments in 2023 indicated that the Shafton/Kusane wetlands are in good health. It also highlighted opportunities for further improvement, particularly continued weed control along the wetland margins. Sappi remains committed to this positive trajectory, recognising wetlands as a species-rich aquatic and terrestrial life habitat. It is another reason the Karkloof Valley is a nature-rich and beautiful asset.
Stewardship with a bird's eye view
For meaningful and widespread impact, environmental stewardship and conservation initiatives must be viewed at a landscape level, with the buy-in of a wide range of stakeholders. While this inevitably adds a layer of complexity, it unlocks far greater potential for delivering sustained positive impact.
Water stewardship exemplifies this approach, shifting the focus to the catchment level and requiring the forestry sector to engage and collaborate with a collective of interested and affected stakeholders to achieve tangible outcomes.
CASE STUDY: WWF Water Stewardship partnership as a blueprint for effective environmental and social stewardship
With funding support from Sappi, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has spearheaded the development of the uMkhomazi Catchment Working Group in KZN. The collaborative forum gathers diverse multisectoral stakeholders to advance water stewardship and coordinate projects within the catchment.
The partnership has supported clearing 130ha of alien invasive vegetation and improved rangeland management across 2,323ha in the upper catchment. These efforts created 40 jobs and upskilled 82 people.
Continuous improvement for conservation
Research helps us understand the interaction between forestry practices and wetland health and drive innovative solutions that enhance conservation efforts. The forestry sector constantly develops and refines best practices that balance conservation with sustainable timber production by linking with academic and research partners, government departments and environmental organisations.
As a sector, we firmly believe this is how we do business, and we recognise that there will always be space to improve in an evolving world.
Wetlands are the lifeblood of our planet, supporting all living creatures and creating opportunities for sustainable development in rural communities.
The forestry sector has the tools, partnerships, and commitment to make a lasting difference. By investing in restoration, adopting sustainable practices, and collaborating with stakeholders, we can safeguard wetlands for future generations. Together, we can ensure these vibrant ecosystems remain a source of life, inspiration, and prosperity.

Edited by Joy Crane