New investor puts down roots in South Africa’s forestry industry

New Investor Establishes Presence in South Africa’s Forestry Industry

South Africa hosts a sophisticated commercial forestry industry, offering substantial value-added export opportunities for investors. In September, international forestry investor New Forests made its debut investment in the country by acquiring Rance Timber, a forestry and sawmilling company.

Details of the Acquisition

The Australian-based firm secured a majority stake in Rance Timber, a company with over a century of history. Rance manages 14,000 hectares of pine plantations located in the Eastern Cape province and operates two sawmills.

“We see it as a great platform from which to grow within South Africa,” says Yida Kemoli, managing director for Africa at New Forests. “And we also see it as a great platform to explore new markets within South Africa, new markets within Africa as well.”

Forestry Landscape in South Africa

South Africa's forest cover is less than 10% of its land area, which is low compared to over 80% in some other African countries.
Despite this, it has the continent’s most advanced commercial forestry industry.
It also has the largest plantation forestry area within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
The country includes an extensive value chain that processes timber into finished products.

Kemoli is optimistic about the sector’s future, confident that South Africa’s forestry industry can reach new levels of development and success.

Summary: New Forests has entered South Africa’s well-developed forestry sector with a key acquisition, signaling confidence in the country’s growth prospects and expanding market opportunities across Africa.

African Business — 2025-11-06

New Investor Establishes Presence in South Africa’s Forestry Industry

Details of the Acquisition

Forestry Landscape in South Africa

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