SSA NEWSLETTER - July 2025
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| Sawmilling South Africa News |
Five months until the end of the year. It’s hard to believe that with seven months of 2025 behind us. While the picture certainly not been rosy, things are starting to look up for our beleaguered segment.
Sawmills across the board are reporting better than expected sales volumes and, even here at the association offices, we have been receiving requests from companies looking for timber suppliers and a list of sawmills. It appears they cannot find their requirements from their usual supplying mills. The cynic in me hopes this assumption is correct — and that the real issue isn’t that they're struggling to find supply because they haven’t been paying their bills.
I am hopeful that our increased investment in industry promotion around locally produced, sawn timber is starting to bear fruit.
Looking back a few years, when the sawmilling industry faced similar challenges, there was limited focus in this respect.
Today, initiatives such as The Wood App, the Talking Timber webinar series, targeted social media efforts, and innovative product development are all contributing to a more positive narrative around our products.
We are working in close collaboration with our partners across the value chain — including Forestry South Africa and the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa — to share the good story of forestry and forest products. Added to this is the support from the timber products division of the dtic.
We are also grateful for the research and momentum driven by our academic partners, particularly the Universities of Pretoria and Stellenbosch. When this positive narrative is underpinned by science, it adds credibility and weight to our efforts.
On that note, I want to draw your attention to two major and interesting upcoming events.
Talking Timber Webinar: Thursday, 7 August | 13:00–14:30
As we explore smart and effective approaches to timber engineering, this session offers practical insights and innovative thinking from three industry experts — all aimed at helping you build better with wood.
- From Mass Timber to Smart Timber – Avoiding "Mess Timber"- Franco Piva – Director, Ergodomus
- Tips & Tricks for Timber Design and Detailing - Michael Kloos – Structural Engineer
- Advanced Fibre Solutions for Timber Performance and Durability in the Marketplace - Dan Tingley – Global Senior Structural Engineer and Wood Technologist
Please support these events as industry. You can register here.
Growing Timber Connections conference | 9 September 2025
The conference, is developing into an annual flagship event for the timber sector. Hosted by our friends at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Engineering and Technology Management, the conference brings together voices from across the built environment and beyond to explore the transformative potential of timber.
You will not be sorry, and it is well worth a visit up to Gauteng! Find out more here.
As with many things, we need to patient with the proverbial long game. But for now, let’s do what we sawmillers do best and that’s cutting straight and drying flat.Until next time, remember the age-old wisdom:
Cheers,
Roy Southey
Executive Director: Sawmilling South Africa |
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Wood-Mizer’s Latest Equipment Lineup: From Hobbyists to Industry Leaders |
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Wood-Mizer, a global leader in sawmilling and woodworking equipment, successfully presented a range of new products designed to serve both hobbyists and industrial customers during the renowned LIGNA trade fair in Hannover, Germany, as well as during a Customer Meeting at
Wood-Mizer’s European headquarters in Koło, Poland.
Pioneering Industrial Sawing with WM5500 and MR250
In response to growing global demand for large-scale industrial sawmilling solutions, Wood-Mizer has introduced two complete processing lines that represent a new generation of efficiency and automation.
At the core of this innovation stands the new WM5500 industrial sawmill capable of cutting logs with a maximum diameter of 100 cm (maximum cutting width 90 cm). The MR250 double-arbor multirip complements this, and it’s ready to handle material up to 650 mm wide × 254 mm thick – thanks to a setup of up to 32 blades. While combined in a sawmilling line, these two machines deliver exceptional productivity. |
| The WM5500 sawmill, with its new features, enables labor cost reduction, lower energy consumption, and optimized material yield. One of the most significant upgrades of the WM5500 focuses on efficiency and precision – its new servo-driven head positioning system reduces movement time from 10 to 5 seconds, doubling speed and improving productivity. |
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“We’ve presented several new machines that customers have long been requesting,” explains Adam Kubiak, Industrial Sales Manager at Wood-Mizer. “As companies look to automate and scale up production, we developed the WM5500 to replace the WB2000, adding features such as a 120-mm Stellite blade, 45-kW motor, and compressed air assistance. In today’s uncertain economic climate, customers appreciate modular solutions that can be expanded as their needs grow, without requiring massive initial investments.”
Alongside the WM5500 line, Wood-Mizer is also introducing the WM2500 sawmill. As Luke Murray, Global Director of Wood-Mizer Systems, explains, “The WM2500 bridges the gap between the LT70 Heavy Duty and WM4000. It offers industrial-grade durability and productivity, simple controls, easy maintenance, a heavy-duty bed, and a precise, fast sawhead—all helping to maximize output and minimize downtime.”
Expanding Options for Hobbyists and Small Businesses
Beyond large-scale industrial equipment, Wood-Mizer remains committed to supporting small businesses, hobbyists, and home sawyers. The introduction of the LX30 sawmill underscores this dedication, offering a budget-friendly option for personal projects and light-duty sawmilling.
“The LX30 is ideal for hobbyists, farmers, or anyone starting in woodworking,” says Hubert Powietrzyński, Sales Manager. “Whether you’re clearing trees from an orchard or experimenting with woodworking in your garage, the LX30 offers an affordable entry into sawmilling. Its compact design, simple operation, and mechanical reliability make it perfect for users who want to focus on creativity rather than complex machine operation.”
The LX30, already well-received in the US, is now available in Africa, offering a simple way to turn logs into usable boards with minimal training or technical expertise.
With over 40 years of experience and a global distribution network, Wood-Mizer remains at the forefront of sawmilling and woodworking technology. Wood-Mizer has built a reputation for innovation, durability, and expert customer support. Its broad portfolio includes compact hobby sawmills, mobile and industrial lines, woodworking machines, blades, and accessories, serving both small operations and large timber plants. |
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| NZ Architect’s Flat-Pack ‘Living Houses’ Offer Quick Fix to Housing Crisis |
| RTA Studio’s housing system — set to launch next month — uses pre-cut cross-laminated timber panels to deliver a three-bedroom home, from factory to installation, in just six weeks. One of New Zealand’s top architects is days away from launching a new flat-pack housing system... read more |
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| GROWING TIMBER CONNECTIONS - Timber Construction Conference - 9 September 2025 |
Future Africa, University of Pretoria
The Timber Construction Conference is a vibrant platform that brings together voices from across the built environment and beyond to explore the transformative potential of timber. Hosted as part of the Growing Timber Connections initiative, the Conference will feature architects, timber... read more |
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| Can the U.S. Timber Industry and Forest Carbon Credit Programs Coexist? |
The climate crisis is forcing society to rethink existing technological and ecological systems. At the nexus of this challenge is how the U.S. values and manages forests.
Over the past 16 years, start-up carbon credit companies have been buying up hundreds of thousands of acres of... read more |
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| Timber Tectonics: 10 Projects Rethinking Wood Construction in Contemporary China |
| In much of China, concrete remains the dominant construction material. Despite growing concerns over its environmental impact, concrete continues to align with the priorities of many developers and clients—it is fast, cost-effective, and highly durable. As a result, most building types... read more |
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| Local timber market sluggish, exports relatively stable |
| China trade remains stable-to-firm, but local timber markets remain slow outside of parts of the South Island. It’s been a month of relative stability throughout the wider forestry industry. The main piece of good news for harvesters has been the minor increase in CFR prices in China... read more |
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| Schalk Grobbelaar Receives Top Honour for Timber Project |
| A proud moment for Schalk Grobbelaar and the timber industry! Sawmilling South Africa is excited to share that Schalk Grobbelaar and his team have been awarded first prize in the University of Pretoria’s prestigious Senate Conference Research Project... read more |
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