Transformation in a Forestry Context

When people mention the forest sector, the first vision that comes to mind is one of rows of planted trees, often at the exclusion of everything else. This is a highly restricted and minimal view of a diverse, multifaceted, vertically integrated sector. One that starts with planted trees but rapidly moves along a variety of value chains, specialising in particular transformations of the raw wood to create a multitude of processed products.

Growers - Represented by Forestry South Africa
These are the primary processors, which include plantations, nurseries, and indigenous forests. They provide the primary source of timber or raw, unprocessed material utilised by the whole forestry value chain.
Sawmilling
The sawmilling sub-sector is one of South Africa’s primary forest sector conversion industries, converting logs into structural sawn lumber for use in the building and construction industry, as well as industrial lumber for use in the packaging, joinery and furniture industries.
Poles – Represented by South African Utility Pole Association and South African Wood Preservers Association
Another secondary processor of wood, this subsector represents pole producers and preservative treated timber product manufacturers – examples of which include structural timber, decking, cladding, garden products etc. The treatment of timber ensures its durability and is heavily regulated.
Fibre – Represented by Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa
The fibre sub-sector is dominated by corporate enterprises involved in the capital-intensive pulp, paper and composite board industries, as well as wood chip and wattle bark manufacturing.
Charcoal
The only subsector that does not have an industry association affiliated with FSCC is responsible for beneficiating timber and timber products (wood chips) into charcoal. Predominantly made up of privately owned medium-sized and emerging enterprises, this subsector includes informal charcoal producers and is a relatively new subsector for transformation reporting.
Contractors – Represented by South Africa Forestry Contractors Association
All forestry contracting practises involved in silviculture, harvesting, firefighting services, amongst others are represented by the contracting sub-sector. The sub-sector is made up of 300 contractors, creating approximately 32 000 employment opportunities, despite a push towards mechanisation in the sector.

Introducing the transformation pillars

FSCC view the five transformation pillars as more than simply reporting tools; they have the potential to be the platforms from which FSCC can actively encourage, support, and facilitate transformation across the sector

Ownership
Management Control
Skills Development
Enterprise and Supplier Development
Economic and Socio-Development

She Is Forestry SA – a blueprint for facilitating transformation.

The She Is Forestry SA initiative is a prime example of how FSCC can effectively facilitate transformation. It was initiated by FSCC and Forestry South Africa (FSA) to promote gender equality, a key component of the Management Control transformation pillar. Over the past four years, the She Is Forestry SA initiative has garnered huge support from across all the FSCC audiences (Industry, Government, Youth and Community), providing a platform to promote gender equality, recognise the integral role women play across the forest sector and to extend the opportunities found within forestry to those living beyond its borders. The She Is Forestry SA example showcases how investing in transformation pillar initiatives that facilitate, encourage and support the Sector in reaching its transformation targets enables FSCC to create lasting change rather than simply monitoring transformation.

Forester
Nursery manager
Forestry researcher
Forestry contractor
Machine Operator
CSI Specialist
Forestry bursary recipient
Human resources specialist
Viv McMenamin
Entrepreneurialism in a Forestry Corporate Context
Entrepreneurialism from a Forestry Small-scale Grower Context