​Transformation

We support the spirit of Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and commit Sappi to significant planned and enacted transformation.

As a company headquartered in South Africa, with significant assets and people, transformation is an important component of our reputation and licence to trade. We recognise that transformation is not just a moral imperative, but a pragmatic growth strategy that aims to realise the country’s full economic potential while helping to bring the black majority into the economic mainstream. Our focus, in terms of BBBEE, is to make a meaningful difference.

In 2018 we achieved a Level Three Contributor status for Sappi Limited and a Level Two Contributor status for Sappi Southern Africa Limited in BBBEE in respect of the new Forestry Codes gazetted on 21 April 2017.

In 2010, Sappi implemented a broad-based empowerment share ownership scheme (24.3 million shares). Today, 45.66% of our Southern African business is owned by black people.

As at the end of September 2017, Sappi was involved in 60 land reform projects with an average farm size of 218ha. Many of these properties previously belonged to commercial farmers who had supply agreements with Sappi.

To ensure sustainable production from these properties, we have entered into supply agreements with the new beneficiaries and have also provided business assistance. This depends on the requirements of the project, but ranges from a pure supply agreement to a comprehensive Forestry Enterprise Development Agreement (FEDA). The latter is a supply agreement but also incorporates development objectives whereby Sappi provides technical and business training as well as administrative support.

Please click here to view our FAQs on ‘Transformation (BBBEE) in Southern Africa’.

Sappi supports the vision of a transformed, sustainable and growing forest products sector that contributes meaningfully to the South African economy. To this end, we are committed to the transformation mandate that is embedded in the Forest Sector Transformation Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) codes.

In respect of procurement we encourage suppliers when being measured by the BBBEE codes to:
• Be an empowered supplier
• Have at least a Level 4 status BBBEE certificate
• Have at least 50% black ownership, and
• Have at least 30% black women ownership.

For more information on the Sappi Supplier Portal and how to register, please click here.

In addition, our ReFibre model is an outsourced business model involving the collection and recycling of post-convertor and post-consumer waste, which is procured from homes, offices, wholesalers and retailers, as well as manufacturers, by an extensive network of independent agents across the country. Our outsourced baling suppliers have over 4,000 informal previously disadvantaged collectors linked to our network.

Khulisa Ulwazi (‘Growing Knowledge’)
To assist with the development of small growers and other forestry value chain participants, we have established a training centre at Richmond in KwaZulu-Natal. The training centre, with Khulisa Ulwazi (‘Growing Knowledge’) as its slogan, provides training to small growers, land reform beneficiaries and small-scale contractors in the technical and business aspects of forestry and small business management.