Dear members and industry colleagues,

With Easter, school holidays, and a flurry of long weekends now behind us, it’s time to turn our full attention back to sawmilling.

Reports from the mills are, fortunately, not of the wrist-slitting variety. Volumes appear to be holding steady. Prices could always be better, of course, but things aren’t quite as dire as they were this time last year.

We are making steady progress in establishing offshore customers. Several SSA members with export experience are lending their insights and support—watch this space for updates.

I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight some upcoming industry events:

Talking Timber Webinar – 8 May
The next Talking Timber session takes place on Thursday, 8 May, and focuses on Timber Decking and Flooring. A panel of experts will cover best practices, material choices, and maintenance tips—ideal for both professionals and enthusiastic DIYers. Don’t miss it!

Forestry South Africa AGM – 22 May
The 2025 FSA AGM will be held on 22 May at the Fern Hill Hotel and Conference Centre in the scenic KZN Midlands near Midmar. It’s always a valuable networking event and usually features a compelling guest speaker. For more details, drop Judy Dowsett an email judy@forestrysouthafrica.co.za.

Sawmilling SA AGM – 18 June
Mark your calendar for 18 June. Our SSA AGM will take place at the Engineering 4.0 building on the University of Pretoria campus. We’re excited about the guest speakers we’re lining up, and you’ll also get an exclusive tour of the Wood Engineering Laboratory, where Dr Schalk Grobbelaar and his team are doing groundbreaking work in timber applications for the built environment. The era of simply cutting a log into a 38×114 S5 is drawing to a close—if we want to compete internationally, we need to evolve.

New Timber Drying Book
A heads-up for your reading list: Dr Peter Stohr has written a new book on timber drying. Once it’s published, it’s bound to become a must-have for any serious sawmiller. We’ll keep you posted.

As always, remember: cut straight and dry flat.
Until next time,

Roy Southey
Executive Director: Sawmilling South Africa