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| Sawmilling South Africa News |
We are now well over the hump of 2025, with the final quarter, and the final roll towards Christmas, is upon us.
Reports coming from millers in the districts is encouraging in that many of them are reporting reasonably good sales in terms of volume. However, there is still dissatisfaction around pricing. One might say millers are never entirely happy with prices — but in this case, we share their concern, as prices have been depressed for quite some time.
All things bright, beautiful and made from timber
The Timber Construction Colloquium and Conference held earlier this month highlighted the magnificent strides being made in the timber space by academics, architects and construction professionals. It is an annual two-day event hosted by Growing Timber Connections, an alliance between the York Timbers Chair in Wood Structural Engineering at the University of Pretoria and various partners from academia, industry and government.
Unfortunately, I could not attend in person, but by all accounts, the event showcased some outstanding case studies and inspiring projects. Our own Samantha Choles served as programme director for the day, gathering a wealth of insights, making valuable new connections, and identifying promising opportunities that we look forward to exploring.
But…I must add that I was more than a little disappointed by the attendance of our sawmillers. Given that the sector has been struggling with sales over the past four or five years, we expected stronger interest and support from millers for the considerable efforts being invested in promoting timber and timber products in the built environment.
Come on, colleagues — we cannot keep complaining that “nothing is being done” to assist us, while at the same time sitting on our hands and not showing up for initiatives that are designed to benefit us all in the long run. The days are long gone when we could simply blame “the economy.” If we want to see real progress, we must back efforts being made by academia and industry with our presence and participation.
So mark your diaries for next year’s event 14-15 September 2026, Future Africa, Pretoria!
On a more positive note, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the teams at our partner universities — Pretoria and Stellenbosch. Your dedication to advancing research on the use of timber, and growing new talent, will undoubtedly help take our sector to new heights — pun very much intended.
Talking Timber Webinar
Please save the date for the next Talking Timber Webinar on 6 November. Once the team has finalised arrangements we will send out the registration link.
That was my rave for the month, sorry but sometimes you have to be brutally honest with your selves.
Tackling timber theft
In September, Forestry South Africa, sawmillers and key stakeholders in Mpumalanga met with the provincial head of SAPS to address the escalating challenge of timber theft. The illegal trade and use of logs in Mpumalanga – and indeed across other provinces – remains a deeply concerning issue. Gaining a clearer understanding of the scale of the problem, while pressing the authorities to act, is very much in the sector’s collective interest.
To this end, we are drafting a clear definition for what constitutes as a “legal sawmill”. Once approved, it will be circulated to relevant authorities to strengthen their ability to curb this economic threat to our sector.
Send us your news
We always appreciate any news from your respective businesses, so please send any content our way for publishing on our website and on social media.
Cheers,
Roy Southey
Executive Director: Sawmilling South Africa |
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The 4th edition of the FSC® Forest Week took place from September 20 to 26, 2025. FSC Forest week is a global campaign that highlights the importance of responsible forest management for our planet. It that drives appreciation of our forests, raises awareness about FSC’s work and highlights the role forest stewards have in fighting climate change and biodiversity loss by supporting sustainable forestry.
Under the theme “Do one thing for forests,” FSC is calling on everyone to take action for healthy forests and a sustainable future. We want you to be part of this journey by doing your one thing for the forests and inspiring consumers to find the one thing they can do that will positively impact the world's forests, ultimately promoting FSC’s work together. |
| | Even the smallest gestures can have a positive impact on nature — choosing FSC-certified products, adopting responsible consumption habits, or inspiring those around you are all simple actions that, when combined, contribute to a major collective effort. FSC Forest Week also bring to life the crucial role of forest managers and FSC in combating climate change and preserving biodiversity. |
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Why participate?
Our forests are a precious resource for nature, the climate, and future generations. Participating in FSC Forest Week means:
Affirming your commitment Raising awareness about the value of sustainable forest management and FSC certification Inspiring others to take action for a better future
How to participate?
It’s simple! FSC provides a set of communication tools:
- Social media content (images, stories, ready-to-publish texts)
- Email signatures, Zoom and Teams backgrounds
- Printable banners and visuals
These resources are available on the FSC Brand Hub, with exclusive access for FSC certificate or license holders.
Sign up to participate in the activities
For Africa, we’d love to know if you have any activities planned during this period — it could be a product launch or awareness-raising events. We’re ready to support you.
Please let us know what activities you’re planning. By signing up, you give field teams the opportunity to come and support you.
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- What are Wood-Mizer sawmill blades - Crafted for Precision and Performance:
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Sawmill users in more than 100 countries depend on Wood-Mizer’s wide range of blades to cut their timber. For many species of logs, specialized blades are needed for the best cutting performance. Wood-Mizer’s blade testing teams work across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas to develop and improve our selection of blade brands and profiles to meet the most difficult sawmilling challenges. Whatever wood you are cutting, Wood-Mizer has a blade to meet your needs.
SilverTIP sawmill blades are made of carbon steel and are ideal for economical sawing, primary and secondary breakdown, as well as for high volume sawmills and resaws. Carbon is the most common steel used in narrow band sawing and can be resharpened with a CBN grinding wheel, but typically not as often as a blade made with harder high-alloy steel like DoubleHARD sawmill blades.
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| - Most common and affordable carbon steel material
- Economical sawing or for high volume sawmills and resaws
- Resharpen with CBN grinding wheel
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DoubleHard High-Alloy Steel Sawmill Blades
DoubleHARD sawmill blades are made of high-alloy steel and are durable all-purpose blades for sawing softwoods, hardwoods, knotty woods, and frozen woods. With the combination of harder high-alloy steel and induction hardened teeth, DoubleHARD sawmill blades deliver twice the toughness and twice the sharp life compared to standard carbon steel blades and can be resharpened several times with a CBN grinding wheel. DoubleHARD sawmill blades are tough, durable, and won’t chip or wear down prematurely which is why they are Wood-Mizer’s most popular sawmill blade material. |
- Tough, non-chip high-alloy steel material with induction hardened teeth
- All-purpose sawing of softwoods, hardwoods, knotty woods, and frozen woods
- Up to double the blade life compared to carbon steel sawmill blades
- Durable sawmill blade with multiple resharpenings using CBN grinding wheel
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BiMetal Two-Piece Steel Sawmill Blades
BiMETAL sawmill blades are made of a two-piece steel with high-alloy steel for the body and high-speed steel (HSS) for the tooth tip. To make BiMETAL sawmill blades, the wire-welded, hardened HSS tooth tip is merged with the body by laser welding and shaped to the right profile. These industrial sawmill blades are commonly used for primary breakdown sawing in production sawmilling operations. BiMETAL sawmill blades hold a sharpened edge up to two times longer than carbon steel blades and can be resharpened multiple times with a CBN grinding wheel. |
| - Two-piece high-alloy steel body with high-speed steel (HSS) tooth tip
- Up to double the sharp life compared to carbon steel sawmill blades
- Durable sawmill blade with multiple resharpening using CBN grinding wheel
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| Bookings are OPEN for WoodEX for Africa 2026 |
Africa’s premier trade exhibition for timber, woodworking machinery, tools, and forestry returns to Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from 9 – 11 June 2026. WoodEX for Africa, the leading trade exhibition for timber, woodworking machinery, tools, and forestry in Southern Africa, has officially opened exhibitor....
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| Pro-Treat Is An “Eye-Opener” For Plant Managers |
After just a month of using Pro-Treat, timber treatment plant managers are already reporting better accuracy, efficiency, and even cost savings. “The difference has been huge,” observed Dolphin Bay’s Wayne Driemeyer. “Even within the first two weeks, our customers were telling us...
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| PCO Certification Process Complete For Most Treaters |
The Pest Control Operation (PCO) registration process is complete for most members of the timber treatment industry, who have received their certificates thanks to the dedicated service of the South African Wood Preservers Association (SAWPA). SAWPA Executive Director...
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| Pro-Treat, Your Invisible Assistant |
Pro-Treat is an invisible assistant for your treatment plant operators. It guides them to follow good practice, prompting them to follow each step and capture data required by the specifications to ensure a quality product.
Should any step be missed, Pro-Treat prompts the operators to complete it before moving forward...
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| SAWMILLS FOR SALE / LEASE: |
| ENTRY LEVEL to EXECUTIVE... |
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