Sappi history
Global Woodfibre Leader Since 1936
Making every day more sustainable since 1936
Sappi’s story began when South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited was established on 17 December 1936. Our name was soon abbreviated to 'SA Pulp', which later became known as Sappi. We got our start manufacturing paper from straw at our first mill east of Johannesburg. Today, Sappi is a global diversified woodfibre company focused on providing dissolving wood pulp (DWP), packaging and speciality papers, graphic papers, as well as biomaterials and biochemicals to customers in more than 150 countries.
Graphic paper, best known for use in offices and in glossy magazines, is no longer our only forte. We are also a world leader in the production of DWP for use in the manufacture of viscose staple fibre (VSF) and a force to be reckoned with in the global packaging and speciality paper market.
The future is inside our trees
At Sappi, we believe that the key to profitable, sustainable development is customer-focused innovation in both our products and our processes. Globally, over 25 percent of our R&D spend is dedicated to our 'Exciter' program, which focuses on the development of breakthrough technology platforms.
Sappi has also patented a world-first, low-cost process for the production of nanocellulose (cellulose fibres from wood, on an ultra-small nano-level). This is a groundbreaking new scientific field with untapped potential in which we are becoming market leaders. Today, we are enthusiastically exploring numerous energy opportunities using biomass as fuel for the zero-carbon, circular economy.
Key moments in Sappi
1936: South African Pulp and Paper Industries Ltd registered.
1938: Enstra Mill produces first paper using straw as raw material.
1954: Tugela Mill produces first paper.
1989: Sappi acquires Saiccor Mill, which becomes one of the world’s largest producers of dissolving wood pulp (DWP).
1992: Hannover Papier is acquired, expanding our business into Europe.
1994: Sappi acquires S. D. Warren Company, the largest coated fine paper manufacturer in the USA.
2002: The coated fine paper business of Potlatch Corporation is acquired and added to the Sappi stable.
2013: Commissioning of 330,000 tpa DWP project at Cloquet Mill and 210,000 tpa DWP at Ngodwana Mill.
2016: Low-cost cellulose NanoFibrils production started.
2018: Somerset Mill PM1 conversion to paperboard.
2025: Somerset Mill PM2 conversion to paperboard.
The history of paper is our history too
Around the world, our mills have been making paper and pulp products for far longer than Sappi has been a company. We honour the legacy of our mills by bringing their innovations with us into the next generation of paper products.
See how all these locations continue to make modern Sappi products.