Ensuring shared value throughout the forestry value chain in South Africa

The barriers to entry to tree-farming are high, and unaffordable for many. That’s where our tree grower enterprise development initiative, Sappi Khulisa, which evolved from Project Grow a few years ago, comes in. Whereas Project Grow focused solely on the growers, Sappi Khulisa focuses on the whole value chain including growers and the contractors who service them.

Currently, the programme involves over 4,000 growers and approximately 137 small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) who are involved in silviculture, harvesting, loading, short- and long-haul activities.

Sappi Khulisa focuses on the whole value chain including growers and the contractors who service them.

Enhancing our service offering to growers and SMMEs

• We have established Khulisa Ulwazi (Growing knowledge) training centres and developed training material in conjunction with the Institute of Natural Resources. Training is offered to all value chain participants, including land reform beneficiaries and covers all aspects of forestry, including core operational skills as well as safety, legal compliance and business management.
• The Sappi team is partnering with other institutions such as Cedara Agricultural College, to provide the growers with the tools to expand their farming activities so that they can have additional sources of income. This is crucial for timber farmers who must wait seven or eight years between timber harvests for a return on their investment.
• We have now developed a grower mobile app to assist Khulisa growers in accessing their plantation information, financial statements and training material. Growers can also send Sappi requests or submit documents through the app.

Our aim is to help tree growers to expand their farming activities to earn additional income.

“As they say, knowledge is power, and now for the first time the Khulisa grower has quick and direct access to up to date information pertaining to their plantation via the Grower App. The App has the potential to radically improve the efficiencies for Sappi’s suppliers. All documents can now be submitted via the Grower App, which has particular advantages during these COVID-19 times as growers no longer need to travel in full taxis to make unnecessary visits to the Sappi offices.”

- Dutliff Smith, Development Manager: Sappi Khulisa