Every sustainability journey begins with a non-negotiable truth: without foresight and agility, there is no future. For Sappi Southern Africa (SSA), this is not only about long‑term business success—it is about ensuring that the natural environment upon which our business is built remains healthy and productive, and that neighbouring communities around us share in our success. The path is complex and unpredictable, as markets shift, technologies evolve, and communities face pressures that demand resilience, foresight, and the ability to adapt.
Our journey and theme
Our sustainability journey has been defined by both challenge and opportunity: balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility, while harnessing innovation, renewable resources, and partnerships. Like mariners of centuries past, who relied on courage and rudimentary maps, we too must be skilled navigators. Today, our instruments are far more advanced and we use data, science, technology, and innovation to guide our way, yet storms can still unsettle even the best-prepared voyage.
This year’s Corporate Citizenship Report, Navigating the Future, situates our journey within a continuum, and as we enter our 90th year, it highlights how we are backed by decades of progress, the milestones we have achieved along the way and looking forward to exciting new horizons ahead.
Building on global standards
Our journey was formalised in 2008 when we adopted the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a framework endorsed by the United Nations. This gave us an international benchmark for non-financial reporting and aligned us with world-class standards. In 2011, we began reporting separately on our South African operations, maintaining transparency at the global level while allowing a deeper regional focus. Later, we renamed this the Corporate Citizenship Report, recognising that our role extends beyond business metrics to the impact we have on society. Our approach has always been anchored in the three Ps: Prosperity, People, and Planet, complemented by Principles of inclusivity, integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Our SDG priorities
As a global company, we adopted seven core UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where we felt we could make the greatest impact. In South Africa, however, we recognised the need to go further, adding two additional SDGs that speak directly to our local context. Together, these nine goals form the backbone of our sustainability strategy.
Because our operations depend on energy and water, SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) are central. We prioritise responsible water use, community access, and energy efficiency, while steadily increasing our self-sufficiency and renewable energy footprint. SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) is equally fundamental, reflecting our commitment to safe, fair, and inclusive employment. As a company rooted in woodfibre, SDG 15 (Life on Land) is pivotal. Sustainable forestry, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem conservation are not optional: they are the foundation of our future.
Linked to this is SDG 13 (Climate Action), where our research into resilient trees, emission reduction, and climate adaptation ensures we are preparing for decades ahead. And because no company can tackle sustainability challenges alone, SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) underscores our collaborative approach with government, industry, academia, and communities. These partnerships extend beyond climate action to embrace inclusive solutions, working with stakeholders to restore inequities, strengthen rural landscapes where we operate as an anchor tenant, and bring balance through shared purpose.
What makes SSA distinctive is our ability to champion SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). By using every part of the tree, harvested responsibly and replanted to ensure continuity, we minimise waste and innovate new uses for by-products. This circular approach allows us to substitute fossil-based products with renewable alternatives, ensuring that sustainability is embedded in everything we make.
In South Africa, we also recognise the urgency of SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 4 (Quality Education) and added these as additional priority SDGs. Through our enterprise supplier development programme— of which Sappi Khulisa has endured for over four decades— we have supported more than 4,000 small growers and 1,000 adjacent suppliers, procuring over R4 billion since 1995. This initiative provides meaningful access to the forestry value chain and uplifts rural communities. On education, we address inequities from early childhood development through to skills training, bursaries, and community programmes.
Aligning with national priorities
Our focus on the SDGs aligns directly with South Africa’s national agenda. In the 2026 State of the Nation Address, government reaffirmed the Just Transition as a cornerstone of policy—ensuring renewable energy is about fairness, jobs, and inclusion. At SSA, we embrace this mandate by expanding renewable energy use and generating our own energy through woodfibre, contributing to a transition that is both low‑carbon and equitable. As Giovanni Sale, Head of Sustainability at SSA, notes: “Our journey is not only about business success. It is about contributing to a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable future for all.”
Delivering impact
Even as we celebrate progress, we acknowledge the costs of production and drive innovation to do better. We are reducing water use, becoming more energy self-sufficient, repurposing waste, and creating products that not only return safely to nature but also serve consumers in everyday life. Forestry is an industry of long cycles. Trees take years to mature, and our research must anticipate conditions decades ahead—whether drought, fire, floods, pests, or disease. It is, in many ways, like turning a large tanker at sea: progress is steady but requires foresight, patience, and resilience. At the same time, markets demand agility, with consumers seeking new products and solutions now. Balancing these realities against South Africa’s socioeconomic backdrop, where volatility, inequality, and infrastructure gaps persist, requires us to think beyond our own operations.
Sustainability is not about certainty—it is about courage, foresight, and the collective will to navigate complexity. With our people, innovative approach, and focus on sustainable forestry, Sappi Southern Africa is delivering solutions that matter for customers, communities, and the planet
commented Giovanni.
This year’s Corporate Citizenship Report highlights outstanding examples from our journey, including milestones achieved, challenges faced, and opportunities we are embracing as we step into our 90th year. We invite you to delve into the report, explore the detail behind our commitments, and see how Sappi Southern Africa is navigating the future with clarity, responsibility, and resolve.
Download the report now
Discover how Sappi is creating value through responsible business, sustainability, and long‑term impact. Download the 2025 Corporate Citizenship Report to explore our progress, priorities, and commitments.
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