Sappi Khulisa

Where it all happens:

Sappi Khulisa was established in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa, covering the area from Mangusi near Kosi Bay in the north to Port Edward in the south and inland as far as Ixopo and Nongoma. Since inception, Sappi Khulisa has expanded to the Eastern Cape near the towns of Bizana and Lusikisiki.

Creating shared value:

Sappi Khulisa started as a tree-farming scheme aimed at subsistence farmers. It is now a successful job creation and entrepreneurship development model aligned with the South African Government’s strategy of promoting forestry as a means of creating sustainable livelihoods in rural areas. Sappi Khulisa forms the foundation of our corporate social responsibility, enterprise development focus.

Sappi Khulisa exemplifies the principles of shared value: small growers build sustainable businesses and a decent income, while Sappi secures a quality fibre supply.

How are we achieving this?

• Sappi provides the growers with quality seedlings, using site-specific species for best yield.
• A qualified team of dedicated Sappi Khulisa foresters provides extension services and expert advice to growers.
• Sappi guarantees a secure future market for buying timber from growers at fair, market-related prices.
• An interest-free loan is provided to cover all farming input costs, including annual maintenance of the plantations until harvesting.
• Growers receive advances for work carried out throughout the generally 8 – 10 year growing cycle.
• We encourage the establishment of growers’ clusters to increase collaboration between growers, contractors and Sappi, as well as to maximise the opportunities available in the Forestry Value Chain. We also foster the concept of peer learning, where growers learn from each other through Growers' Days.
• Sappi has established training centres, Khulisa Ulwazi (Growing knowledge) and developed training material in conjunction with the Institute of Natural Resources. Training is offered to all value chain participants and covers all aspects of forestry, including the core operational skills as well as safety, legal compliance and advice on running a business.

You can watch the Sappi Khulisa video here.