Amathole District Municipality
Eastern Cape
South Africa
Sector
Construction & Materials
Forestry & Paper
Opportunities in timber processing, building on the benefits offered by the ELIDZ agro-processing cluster, include the production of biomass from organic waste, the manufacture of pine components and joinery diversification.
The East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) agro-processing cluster offers a distinct advantage to companies in the business of timber processing. The location of the cluster is in close proximity to extensive forestry and therefore an abundant availability of raw material supplies. Another competitive advantage is the strategic government-supported timber project at the IDZ, as well as all the other benefits that come with a cluster approach - such as economies of scale and shared facilities.
Further opportunities for timber proecssors include:
- Saw-millers, mostly in pine, can diversify into doors, frames, flooring and planks.
- Wood chipping.
- The production of biomass from organic waste.
- Manufacture of pine components.
- Large sawmills produce high quality sawn timber for furniture, as well as low quality sawn timber for crates and cable drums. Large sawmills have drying facilities that allow the mill to produce wood that is more durable, easier to work with, and which does not warp.
- Micro mills typically produce low cost wet or air dried timber for pallets or cable drums
Four buyer groups of sawn timber exist within the province. These include:
- For building and construction materials, such as roof timbers, mouldings, flooring, shelving and doors
- For local packaging, in pallets, crates, cable drums and mining applications
- For local furniture and diy products
- For lumber exports
Eastern Cape timber resources
The Eastern Cape is one of only two provinces in South Africa that have been identified as having the
capacity for afforestation. Current estimates of new land available in the province stand at anywhere between 60 000 and 100 000 hectares. Most of the plantations in the Eastern Cape are dedicated to sawmilling and timber board production, with a small proportion used for pulp and paper manuacturing.
