SSA NEWSLETTER - September 2026
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SAWMILLING SOUTH AFRICA NEWS |
Timber Takes Centre Stage
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That’s September done and dusted. Isn’t it interesting how the months seem to speed up as we approach the end of the year? We only have 12 or so weeks until Christmas and then we will be done with yet another year.
Two days of timber thinking
On 14 and 15 September, Prof Schalk Grobbelaar and his team at the University of Pretoria hosted the Timber Construction Colloquium and Conference. Under the banner of the York Timbers Chair in Wood Structural Engineering, it was a fascinating two days. It was great to have York CEO Schalk Barnard present at both events, and we applaud York for renewing its support of the Chair until 2033. I hope that other industry players will follow suit and support initiatives such as these.
The colloquium featured 25 speakers and presenters from the University of Pretoria, Stellenbosch University, Durban University of Technology and the CSIR. Reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of timber construction, the programme drew on expertise in architecture, structural engineering, engineering and construction management, forestry, wood science, fire, marketing management and infrastructure innovation. |
From research to real-world applications
The second day was also jam-packed, but nonetheless inspiring and informative, with a diverse group of people from academia, architecture, engineering, timber manufacturing, construction companies and sustainability bodies sharing insights on green building trends, mass timber and modular construction, structural timber engineering, local materials, digital engineering workflows and modern timber architecture. This was all alongside practical case studies of timber buildings and developments, as well as some interactive workshops.
Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition John Steenhuisen joined us virtually to give an opening address. He highlighted the need for greater public awareness of timber construction, together with the skills and technical data needed to support its wider adoption. He said that the conference speaks directly to decarbonisation and diversification, which are key pillars of the dtic’s Industrial Development Strategy. We hope that his participation will pave the way for gaining the attention of other high-ranking officials and showing what can be done with wood! |
Timber’s momentum is building
Timber is certainly becoming the centre of attention and this is great news for us as the sawmilling industry. Whilst some might argue that research does very little for the current use of timber and that profits are driven by current sales, any forward-thinking industrialist certainly knows better.
It struck me that some twenty years ago there would have been a sprinkling of architects, foresters and sawmillers in the audience. In fact, the first conference drew around 20 people, and now the auditorium at Future Africa was filled with timber advocates!
I encourage to be part of next year’s audience so SAVE THE DATE! 6 & 7 September 2027. |
As always, don’t forget it’s still just as important to cut straight and dry flat.
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Until next month,
Regards |
| Executive Director: Sawmilling South Africa |
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Mijengo Investments Transforms Operations with Wood-Mizer and Husky Outdoor Equipment |
| The team fine-tuning Wood-Mizer equipment to ensure optimal performance for every cut. |
Founded by Pancras Kuria Nyoike in 2006, Mijengo Investments has evolved from a small, family-run business to a significant player in the timber and pallet manufacturing industries. Initially starting with PK Timber Yard, a small sawmill in Kiserian, Kajiado County, Pancras quickly realized that to grow his operations, he needed to source and process logs from commercial forests. This insight led to the opening of a larger sawmill in Nakuru's Industrial Area, where the company saw significant expansion.
By 2012, Mijengo Investments was running six horizontal wide bandsaw machines, which increased production to 23 cubic meters per day. However, a 2018 log ban in Kenya forced the company to shift from timber production to pallet manufacturing. This change required more efficient machinery, leading to the acquisition of two Wood-Mizer HR115 resaws. These machines introduced thin-kerf technology, providing Mijengo with higher recovery rates, reduced power consumption, and a better-quality finish. Despite these improvements, maintaining older machines caused frequent downtime, hindering production.
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| The EG800 in action, turning timber into valuable products. |
The Challenge: Downtime, Efficiency, and Growth
Before fully investing in Wood-Mizer equipment, Mijengo Investments faced several operational challenges:
- Frequent production downtimes due to aging bandsaw machinery.
- A need for more efficiency in the new pallet manufacturing process, especially as the company was now sourcing logs from local farmers.
- Reducing power consumption and improving recovery rates to cut costs and increase output.
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| Josephat Nyoike, son of Pancras Kuria Nyoike, stands alongside a Wood-Mizer EG800. |
Choosing Wood-Mizer A Decision for Efficiency
Pancras' sons, Josephat Nyoike and Joseph Kuria, led the search for advanced machinery to sustain the business.
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After visiting various sawmills and consulting with industry experts, they were convinced of Wood-Mizer's superior performance . Their positive experience with the HR115 model reinforced their decision to expand with additional Wood-Mizer machines. They ultimately invested in a Wood-Mizer Twin Vertical Saw Start model, an EG100 dual-blade board edger, and an EG800 industrial multi-blade board edger, with support from Wood-Mizer representative Alister from Husky Outdoor Equipment. The purchasing process was smooth, and the machines were delivered within three months.
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| Careful operation in every step – ensuring consistent and precise cuts with the EG800. |
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Installation and Training: A Seamless Transition
The installation of the new machines went as planned, with everything arriving in perfect condition. Mijengo Investments appreciated the support they received from Wood-Mizer representatives, Husky Outdoor Equipment, during the transition. Alister provided thorough training for the production team, enabling them to start production immediately. Any subsequent questions were promptly addressed through calls and messages, ensuring uninterrupted operations.
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| Transforming logs into valuable timber. |
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Performance Impact: Revolutionizing Production
Since installing Wood-Mizer machinery and with the continued support and back up service from Husky, Mijengo Investments has experienced transformative improvements in its operations. The TVS Start model allows them to cut two sides of a log with twin blades, offering greater accuracy and efficiency than their previous manual methods. The EG800's six-blade capacity enables them to cut multiple boards simultaneously, while the EG100 enhances recovery by processing offcuts.
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| Working together to ensure each log is processed with precision and efficiency. |
| With the new Wood-Mizer machines, Mijengo has reduced operational costs—such as labour and power consumption—and increased its production capacity from 28 to 38 cubic meters per day. This output increase has allowed the company to meet growing customer demand, fulfil orders more quickly, and enhance turnover and profitability. |
Keeping the mill running smoothly, with a steady supply
of quality timber for the community. |
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| A thriving production line – where teamwork and technology come together to meet demand. |
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The Results: Achieving Business Goals and Unexpected Benefits
The adoption of Wood-Mizer technology has led to significant improvements in Mijengo's operations. In addition to reduced costs and increased production capacity, the company has served more customers efficiently. An unexpected benefit has been the smooth finish of the wood produced by the EG800, which has garnered positive feedback from their clients.
Looking Ahead: Future Expansion Plans
With plans to open a new sawmill in Chebole, Bomet County, Mijengo Investments is looking to expand its operations further with Wood-Mizer and Husky Outdoor Equipment. . They intend to install a new machine at this facility to process logs into boards for the main mill.
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A Testimonial to Quality and Reliability
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Mijengo Investments is a testament to the quality and reliability of Wood-Mizer machinery. "We would definitely recommend Wood-Mizer to others," Pancras shared. "The machines are easy to operate, deliver great value for money, and have significantly improved our production process."
As Mijengo Investments grows, Wood-Mizer along with Husky Outdoor Equipment. will remain a critical partner in their journey toward greater efficiency, reliability, and success.
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| The powerhouse of precision and efficiency – Wood-Mizer’s TVS (Twin Vertical Saw) |
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| A broader view of productivity – the Wood-Mizer Twin Vertical Saw (TVS) at the heart of the operation. |
From Sawmill to Building Site: Making Certified Timber Count in Construction
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Why growing demand for responsibly sourced timber in construction matters to sawmills
If South Africa is going to increase its use of timber in construction, sawmills stand to benefit. More timber framed buildings, roof structures, engineered wood products, cladding, flooring, and joinery mean greater demand for the material leaving the mill.
South Africa is starting from a strong position. Around 85% of the country's plantation forestry area is FSC certified, meaning certified timber is already available from a substantial portion of the resource base. But – a significantly smaller percentage of South Africa’s sawmills, as the next step in the value chain for wood products, are FSC certified
Sustainability is becoming more important in construction, but procurement decisions are no longer focused only on performance, availability, and cost. Developers, architects, and contractors and most importantly, the clients are also asking where timber comes from and whether that sourcing can be verified.
For sawmills, the opportunity is to ensure that the FSC claim remains intact once logs enter the mill and move through the supply chain.
The specification reaches the mill
A requirement for responsibly sourced timber may start on an architect's drawing, in a developer's sustainability brief, or as part of a green building requirement.
In South Africa, Green Star is particularly relevant. Administered by the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), the rating system recognises responsibly sourced timber within its approach to construction materials. Requirements set during design and specification can therefore influence what suppliers further up the value chain are expected to provide.
Ultimately, somebody must supply that timber.
Specifications can require FSC certified timber, valid FSC Chain of Custody Certification, and invoices carrying the appropriate FSC claim.
For a sawmill, Chain of Custody is the certification that keeps the FSC claim connected to the timber as logs are processed into sawn products and sold to the next customer.
This matters because the claim does not automatically travel with timber simply because the forest it came from is certified. Without Chain of Custody at the relevant stages, downstream customers may not be able to buy or sell the material with an FSC claim.
The contractor asks the timber supplier. The supplier asks the manufacturer or processor. Eventually, the question reaches the sawmill.
Can you supply the timber with the claim that the project requires?
Why the sawmill matters
The sawmill occupies an important position between South Africa's largely certified plantation resource and the markets that use its timber.
From the mill, timber may move into roof trusses, joinery, engineered wood products, or other components before reaching a building site. With Chain of Custody Certification in place, a sawmill can sell eligible products with the appropriate FSC claim, allowing the next certified business in the chain to carry that claim forward.
The building may be the final destination, but the sawmill helps determine whether the FSC claim can reach it.
From the mill to the finished building
The Stadium of Life at the Kick4Life Centre in Maseru provides a practical example of how demand from a construction project can reach back into the South African timber sector via all of the processors that may be part of the value chain.
The project is Africa's first FSC certified timber stadium and Southern Africa's first FSC certified project. Its structure incorporates 8,584 treated eucalyptus poles originating from FSC certified plantations managed by MTO Forestry in Mpumalanga.
What makes the example relevant to South African timber suppliers is the direction in which that demand travelled. A decision to use responsibly sourced timber in a project in Lesotho translated into demand for FSC certified material from South Africa.
Through FSC Project Certification, the project can demonstrate the verified origin of the timber used. For sawmillers, the commercial connection is clear: requirements set at the building site can determine what timber is needed further upstream.
What this means commercially
A sawmill's immediate customer may be a merchant, treatment plant, truss manufacturer, or joinery business. But the requirements influencing that purchase may originate much further down the value chain.
This means sawmills need to look beyond the immediate sale and understand what their customers may increasingly be asked to supply.
The questions are practical.
Can we supply the required timber?
Can we supply it with the required FSC claim?
Can the documentation accompanying the sale demonstrate that claim?
Being able to answer yes puts a mill in a stronger position to respond when responsible sourcing forms part of a customer's procurement requirements.
The direction is clear
For years, much of the certification conversation in forestry has focused on where timber starts. The construction market asks us to look at where it ends.
South Africa already has a strong FSC certified plantation resource. The opportunity for sawmillers is to connect that resource with construction demand by ensuring its FSC value is not lost during processing.
The question is straightforward: when the construction market asks for verified timber, will your mill be ready to supply it?
Written By: Benjamin Rafemoyo | Market Development Officer, Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) Southern Africa
Contact: FSC |
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Established Magoebaskloof Sawmill Operation Presents Rare Acquisition Opportunity
A unique opportunity has become available to acquire an established and fully operational sawmilling and timber processing facility located in the heart of one of South Africa’s recognised timber-growing regions.
This going concern offers an ideal opportunity for an existing sawmiller looking to expand capacity, an industry investor seeking an established timber processing operation, or an entrepreneur wanting to enter the timber sector with the benefit of existing infrastructure, experienced employees, and an established market presence.
The sawmill is strategically located in the Magoebaskloof area of Limpopo, where commercial timber farming is well established. The availability of locally grown timber provides a significant operational advantage, ensuring access to raw material with reduced transport distances and associated logistics costs.
Operating from a fully developed 17.0448-hectare industrial property, the facility has been designed to support ongoing sawmilling activities, with comprehensive production infrastructure, supporting workshops, administrative facilities, and employee accommodation already in place.
The operation manufactures timber products, including roof timber and structural timber supplied into the building industry, with an established customer base and the infrastructure required to continue production.
For more details and a comprehensive valuation report CLICK HERE
CONTACT
Pieter Human Real Estate
Pieter Human
Cell: 082 553 5887
Tel: (015) 307 2755
Email: pieter.human@realty.net.za |
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| Recording Now Available For Talking Timber webinar: Fire and Timber |
The recording of the Talking Timber webinar, Fire and Timber, held on 6 August 2026, is now available to watch. The session featured Dirk Streicher of Ignis Testing and Dr Humaira Fataar of Stellenbosch University, exploring how timber behaves in fire, structural design principles, fire resistance testing and fire door performance...
read more |
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| Meet FAO’s Wood Champion – Federica, a Restorer and Artisan Giving Wood a Second Life |
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| 4th Timber in Construction Conference Highlights Progress and Growth |
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