When we contemplate wood, our thoughts often gravitate towards robust furniture, snug fireplaces, or perhaps the paper upon which we write. Nevertheless, the tale of wood does not end there.
Norman Dlamini, business development director at Forestry South Africa, sheds light on South Africa’s remarkable forestry sector, its growers, and the lesser-known but incredibly diverse world of wood by-products.
Who would’ve thought that despite occupying merely 1% of South Africa’s land space, commercial plantation forestry plays a pivotal role in the nation’s economy and ecology?
“That is about 1.2 million hectares out of the 122 million hectares of land that we have in South Africa,” he shares.
Here’s a surprising statistic: Commercial plantation forestry only uses about 5% of the water used by the entire agricultural sector.
Products that contain wood
Commercial forestry is not solely about harvesting timber but maximising every part of the tree to create a multitude of products. From sawn timber to pulp, paper, and mining timber, the possibilities are boundless.
A staggering number of products can be attributed to plantation forestry. Did you know that everyday essentials like toilet rolls, packaging, pencils, and furniture trace back to plantation forestry?
These items we usually take for granted but cannot live without.
Then, there are the everyday essentials such as lipstick, cream, sweetener, paint, washing powder, yoghurt, cleaning products, and clothing. Indeed, one would never have guessed that these products contain wood.
“The huge number of products that are made from the three tree genera is impressive, from timber to tar oil; wood is an incredibly adaptive material if you know the right processes to use,” Dlamini said.
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Innovations in technology and research have unlocked new markets for wood by-products, ranging from the automotive and pharmaceutical industries to biodegradable plastics and fuels.
These products include biodegradable plastics, folding phones, and fuels of the future that can help us address the challenges of tomorrow.
In modern sawmilling, every bit of timber that enters the lumber mill is put to good use. The best will be transformed into veneer, straight sections will become saw logs, while offcuts get chipped, flaked, or turned into sawdust.
These chips, flakes, and sawdust go on to create a variety of products, with any leftovers being finally burnt – often to produce the electricity that runs the mill.
Employment and rural development
Forestry is not just about trees. It is about people and communities. Most forestry operations occur in rural areas, creating much-needed jobs where they’re most impactful.
In fact, the forestry sector directly employs 149 000 people, significantly contributing to South Africa’s workforce.
“We contribute about 1.6% of South Africa’s workforce. So we are punching a whole lot above our weight,” Dlamini said.
This excludes indirect employment and those operating in the processing sector down the value chain. Dlamini underscores that the industry contributes around R38.4 billion to South Africa’s economy and supports over half a million jobs indirectly.
On the global stage
Despite its smaller plantation space, South Africa competes on the global stage with giants like China, Brazil, and India.
“If I compare ourselves with China, just the plantation space, China is sitting at 46 million hectares, so they are 40 times bigger than South Africa. India is sitting at about 32 million hectares.
“Russia is 17 times bigger than us and Brazil about four times bigger. We are a very small player if we compare our solves production-wise with our brick’s counterparts.”
South Africa’s forestry sector stands out in Africa and beyond. While we are up against some serious competition, our forestry sector holds its own when it comes to research, innovation, and technological advancement.
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