Southern Africa

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.

Sappi Southern Africa has been awarded the Trialogue Strategic CSI Award in recognition of its 40-year old flagship Khulisa Enterprise Supplier Development programme. The prestigious accolade is awarded annually to the programme that exemplifies best practice in strategic corporate social investment (CSI) in South Africa.

Bringing a love of nature and the outdoors to young learners was the mission of the Karkloof Conservancy when they embarked on an environmental education programme with the three farm schools in their area between July and November this year.

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.”

A KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) based transport company received a tremendous boost thanks to an enterprise and supplier development partnership MOU signed in 2022 between Sappi Southern Africa and the Ithala Development Finance Corporation Limited (IDFC). Sanele Mkhize, Managing Director of Exodec 384 CC, took delivery of three brand new Mercedes trucks valued at R11.6 million on Thursday 26 October, thanks to a financing agreement from IDFC.

For a company to support a venture that started out as a straightforward CSI programme and to nurture it through the decades to become an integral, thriving division in its supply chain, is both remarkable and commendable.

The persistent global economic downturn is proving to be much tougher than anticipated with depressed markets, geopolitical instability and weak economic growth combining to put significant pressure on Sappi, particularly in Europe.

A young woman who embarked on a learning journey with Sappi five years ago, is now enjoying the fruits of her labour through her flourishing brickmaking business, thanks to her perseverance and diligence.