Here we are in February 2025 – can you believe it? That’s 25 years and one month since the turn of the millennium. It feels like it was just yesterday! And if I really think about it, that means we’re about to see new “young” sawmill managers making their way into the industry.
As an “older bullet” myself, that’s a bit of a daunting thought! But as they say, life must go on – and, boy, do we need fresh perspectives and new ideas in this industry!
This February also marked the 14th Wood Conference in Cape Town, which was another fantastic event. It was inspiring to see so many young (yes, once again!) architects in attendance. This year’s theme, “Integrating Global Ideas for African Growth,” was particularly exciting as it showcased the innovative ways European countries and companies are working with timber and engineered timber products. Their approach was both promising and a challenge for South Africa – and indeed Africa – to embrace.
The day after the Wood Conference, we held the SSA Exco meeting at the MTO office in Jonkershoek. It was great to see so many of the Executive members present. I’m also pleased to share that Chairman Duncan MacKay presided over his final Exco meeting, and Craig Rance has stepped into the role of Chair. Craig’s appointment will, of course, need to be ratified at the AGM.
Speaking of the AGM, be sure to save the date: June 18th! We’ll be returning to the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa auditorium for the meeting, and we’re hoping to have an exciting international speaker join us to provide some insight into the broader structural timber market.
Another key takeaway from the Exco meeting was the growing sense of optimism among sawmills regarding the immediate future. Some sawmills are reporting solid demand for timber, which we hope will lead to better prices for everyone.
In February, we also held our first 2025 webinar in the Talking Timber series, which focused on Frame Construction, Standards, and Codes. As always, it was well-attended by 143 professionals from the built environment and the timber industry. Just like The WoodApp, these webinars are proving to be excellent professional development platforms. In turn, they serve as a great way to showcase wood and the growing demand for it in the built environment. The webinars continue to gain traction and are becoming more self-sustaining, relying less on SSA’s sole financial support.
That’s all from me for this month. As always, until next time, don’t forget to keep cutting straight and dry – flat.
Cheers,
Roy Southey
Executive Director: Sawmilling South Africa
