SSA NEWSLETTER - April 2026
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SAWMILLING SOUTH AFRICA NEWS |
Steady Recovery, New Beginnings and a Look Ahead to the SSA AGM
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I start this month’s newsletter on a very sad note. Our much-loved and respected colleague, Louis du Plessis, passed away on Saturday, 25th April. Louis had taken over the family business, NewSaw and grown it into a highly respected supplier of sawmilling solutions to our industry. Louis and the expertise that he brought to our industry will be sorely missed. I personally will miss his infectious enthusiasm for sawmilling and great sense of humour.
On a more positive note, our sawmillers can expect a slightly “warmer” winter this year as lumber sales volumes continue to edge upward in 2026. This comes after most mills are reporting better-than-expected sales volumes, still not up to the 2019 volumes, but the recovery is encouraging. The next step will be to see average selling prices (ASP) move in the same direction!
Four months into the year, and it’s nearly time for our AGM – 10 June 2026 at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa Campus (that’s the one with the beautiful timber auditorium).
This year’s SSA AGM, hosted alongside the “Doing Business with Finland” session, offers members a forward-looking programme focused on investment, innovation, and growth across the sawmilling value chain. From international market opportunities and funding mechanisms to the latest in wood processing technologies and automation, the programme brings together global expertise and practical insights to support the sector’s next phase of development.
In other news, the merger of PG Bison’s Southern Cape assets with those of MTO Forestry is reported to have received approval from the Competition Commission. This paves the way for the establishment of a new entity in the region, expected to operate as Cape Forest Products (CFP). While it is still early days and many details of the merger remain to be finalised, further information is anticipated in due course. I think that this is a very positive development for sawmilling in the Southern Cape.
April also saw Samantha Choles, our communications consultant, and I visiting some sawmills in the Eastern and Southern Cape. Tracey Beek joined us on the last day for a visit to MTO in George, where they got to see how a sawmill converts a tree into beautiful square-cut lumber that ends up in and on our homes.
We also had a NMU (Saasveld) advisory board meeting in the month, as well as a Forestry Masterplan meeting, both of which I am pleased to say went off well.
That’s all, folks. As always, keep cutting straight and drying flat and you will be able to sell more timber!
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| Executive Director: Sawmilling South Africa |
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Scierie Glory - Women Are Powerful
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| Tropical hardwoods processed into sawn product for a variety of customers. |
This is a story with an unusual twist.
It’s not the usual narrative of a man that owns a successful sawmill business and conquers the world.
This is different, completely different.
In fact, this story is so unusual that it has the makings of inspiring women around the world to go out and change the world by using the power that women have as a force for good.
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Madame Florance Rashidi. Florance is Co-Director of the
Glory Sawmill Group together with her husband. |
| Meet Florance Sabwe Rashidi, a sawmiller from Kolwezi, the capital of the DRC’s Lualaba Province.
Florance is a powerhouse timber entrepreneur that looks the world squarely in the face, with a sawmilling empire that now spans four sawmilling businesses proof of her resolve to change her life and that of women around the world.
A previous overview - Scierie Glory, Begin the journey - unpacked part of Florance’s story, and how she and her husband, Asewani have grown the Scierie Glory Group into what it is today. |
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| But this overview tells the story from Florance’s perspective, a woman’s view on how to build a timber business that works. |
“I’ve always had a business. That’s the only way to make a living today. It’s not like the old days when women relied on their husbands. Now, women must work to survive, become stronger.
“You must look for business opportunities. I saw the shortage of houses in Kolwezi, and the demand for sawn timber to build houses,” Florance smiles.
“I told Asewani we should start a sawmill. "He said it was a bad idea. I then went to my mother, Asewani’s mother-in-law. |
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Wood-Mizer’s LT20 Diesel ploughing through a hardwood
log in Kolwezi. |
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“She understood my vision and said, do it! My mother was the founder of this business.
“Now it consists of four sawmilling businesses with Asewani, me and our son and daughter each running a sawmill.
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| The LT20’s cutting length of between 4.8 – 8.4 m is ideal for long-length tropical logs. |
| “Women are powerful. We can change the world if we want to. See the opportunities and be the change,” Florance concludes. |
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| From Risk to Resilience: Strengthening the Timber Industry Together |
| From industry challenges and security warnings to leadership changes and sustainability conversations, this month’s update highlights the resilience of South Africa’s sawmilling sector. Stay informed on scams, raids, collaboration efforts, and key insights shaping the forestry value chain today. read more |
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| Sawmilling In The Shadow Of The Dragon |
| Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Drakensberg Mountains, New Heights Sawmill tells a story of resilience, innovation, and family legacy. Discover how John and Fiona Schenk built a thriving operation in a remote landscape, overcoming challenges to supply thousands of pallets across South Africa. read more |
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| The Logs Are Certified. Is Your Sawmill? |
| FSC Chain of Custody certification is more than a tick box, it is the system that protects the value of certified timber as it moves through the supply chain. Discover why the sawmill plays a pivotal role in maintaining credibility, meeting growing market demand, and unlocking new commercial opportunities. read more |
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| Now on YouTube | Talking Timber: Is Timber Truly Sustainable? |
Missed the live session? Catch up on the Talking Timber webinar exploring whether timber is truly sustainable. Industry experts unpack the facts behind forestry, renewable materials, and responsible sourcing. Watch now to gain valuable insights into timber’s role in a lower impact, future focused built environment.
read more |
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| Building Market Access Through Fire Testing For Mid-Rise Wood Construction In Korea |
South Korea’s mid rise housing sector offers strong potential for wood construction, but fire and acoustic requirements remain key barriers. Discover how testing and certification are enabling compliant timber systems and unlocking broader market adoption opportunities.
read more |
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| ENTRY LEVEL to EXECUTIVE... |
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| SAWMILLS FOR SALE / LEASE: |
| Send your news to: bronwyn@fevertreemedia.co.za |
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