Southern Africa

Commenting on the group’s results, Sappi Chief Executive Officer Steve Binnie said: “Following the records achieved in FY2022, I am pleased that we have been able to deliver a satisfactory set of results under particularly difficult circumstances with an EBITDA excluding special items of US$731 million for the year ended September 2023.”

Sappi Limited announced today that it has concluded an agreement with AURELIUS Investment Lux One S.à.r.l. (“AURELIUS”) regarding the divesture of its Maastricht Mill in the Netherlands, its Stockstadt Mill in Germany and its Kirkniemi Mill in Finland (the “Transaction”).

With the increased global push for environmentally friendly and sustainable paper-based packaging solutions, Sappi has made great strides in developing breakthrough proprietary barrier technology to offer new opportunities to satisfy this need.

Sappi Limited, a leading global producer of dissolving pulp, speciality and packaging papers, graphic paper and biomaterials, today announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire the 270,000 tons per year Matane high yield hardwood pulp mill from Rayonier Advanced Materials for US$175 million.

Commenting on the group’s results, Sappi Chief Executive Officer Steve Binnie said: “I am pleased the Group delivered EBITDA (earnings) more than 40% above the prior year at US$151 million. Despite the third quarter being a seasonally slower period for our business, and the sluggish global economy, our results were in line with our guidance. Underlying profitability, excluding a US$30 million impact from scheduled maintenance shuts at Saiccor and Somerset Mills, remained steady quarter-on-quarter. This is a pleasing performance driven by sustained strong market conditions in the pulp segment, offset somewhat by a muted recovery in paper markets.”

With reference to the fire and subsequent explosion which occurred on a supplier truck delivering liquid oxygen to the Sappi Saiccor Mill in Umkomaas, KwaZulu-Natal, the following update can be provided.

Earlier today a fire and subsequent explosion occurred on a supplier truck delivering liquid oxygen (used for bleaching) to the Sappi Saiccor Mill in Umkomaas, KwaZulu-Natal.

In a tragic turn of events, six brave employees of Farmusa Contracting (Farmusa), a contractor to Sappi Forests for firefighting and silviculture services, lost their lives earlier today.

Sappi has again achieved the highest platinum level in EcoVadis’ sustainability rating across all three of its manufacturing regions – Europe, North America, and South Africa.