by
Ms. Sebueng Kelatwang & Dr. Themba L. Simelane
Department of Water Affairs & Forestry
Private Bag X93, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
1. BACKGROUND
South Africa (SA) is a large, diverse country at the foot of the African continent. It is flanked in the north by Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe and in the Northeast by Mozambique and Swaziland. The country has a total land surface area of 122.3 million km2. Of this, 42 million ha is open savannah of which as little as half remains as natural area, 400,000 ha is closed canopy forest, of which 300,000 ha are in protected areas, i.e. 58% in state forest and 42% in other legally protected areas and about 1.48 million hectares is industrial plantations managed for sustainable production. Most of the plantations are located where climatic conditions are suitable for afforestation, i.e. 41% in Mpumalanga; 37% KwaZulu-Natal; 11% Eastern Cape; 6% Western Cape and 5% in the Northern Cape. Afforestation is occurring at a rate of around 10,000 ha per year.
Prior to 1994, South Africa's forest policy focus was mainly on industrial timber plantations and timber production and as such we collected commercial timber statistics only. Forest information in South Africa is characterised by:
Fragmentary nature;
Partiality, i.e. it does not cover all forest types or issues;
Resource waste;
Duplication of efforts;
Existence of information gaps;
Lack of a system to pull information together; and
High costs of collecting information.
Following the launch of the NFAP in 1996, forest policy changed to focus on all forest sectors. The new forest policy and National Forests Bill necessitate the need to develop a forest resource information service that will address forest information problems. Essential and correct information should reflect the needs of preparing a report on the State of South Africa's forest resources, the development of a system of criteria and indicators for SFM and the development of a Forest Resource Accounting System. The system should have the following outputs:
Information on forest resources of all types (ecological, economic and social);
Information on demands on the forests;
Resource implications of forest;
Important influences on the forest sector; and
Forest Resource Accounting.
2. SOUTH AFRICA'S MACRO-ECONOMIC POLICY FRAMEWORK
2.1. Proposed policy framework
A collaborative network approach to develop a system of Forest Resource Accounting will be a prerequisite for success. The proposed policy framework includes the following target areas:
The deficit in the budget will be reduced more rapidly i.e. 3% of GDP by the year 2000, inter alia eliminating the government dissaving by 2.5% GDP. In other words free more capital for investment purpose;
Import tariff reduction will be accelerated to contain imported inputs prices, facilitate industrial restructuring and enhance international competitiveness of the economy;
Maintain a stable real effective Rand Exchange rate;
Providing tax incentives to stimulate new investment in labour intensive project;
Restructuring of state assets which will attract foreign investment, expertise and technology.
2.2. Achievements
overall macro-economic balance was restored to an important extent;
the budget deficit of the national government was reduced faster than most observers had anticipated;
the deficit on the current account of bop was reduced in terms of absolute value and as a ratio of gdp;
inflation fell and inflation expectation diminished considerably;
productivity improved in the formal sector of the economy; and
fixed investment in the productive business sector of the economy has increased in recent years.
2.3. Drawbacks
South Africa has experienced a period of slowdown in economic activity and consolidation since the third quarter of 1996. Economic growth has been weak and the current indicator of employment in the formal sector of the economy has declined to its lowest level in 20 years. The main factors that have adversely affected the economy are:
Financial turbulence in Asia: the domestic financial market came under intense pressure in May 1998 and monetary conditions tightened considerably;
Economic growth as measured by year to year change in real Gross Domestic Product decelerated from 1996 to 1997, reflecting the consolidation of real GDP and a decline in agricultural production;
Declining employment and slow growth in private household disposable income were manifested in slow growth in the real value by trade sectors. The slowdown in the economic growth brought in its wake a further decline in total employment in the non-agricultural sectors of the economy;
The turbulence in emerging markets during the second quarter of 1998 and a sharp decline in the surplus on the external capital account brought downward pressure to bear on the exchange rate of the Rand. The normal effective exchange rate of the Rand as such fell by about 20% in seven months of 1998. This event delayed the anticipated recovery in overall real economic activity.
3. POLITICAL SITUATION
The new South Africa is moving into its 5th year in 1999 and the second elections are to be held between May and July 1999. The current ruling party is the African National Congress. The National Party is the official opposition party.
4. SOCIAL AND HUMAN CONTEXT OF FORESTRY
The current relationship between forest owners and the neighbouring communities can be grouped into three main categories:
Access to land and other resources;
Economic opportunities; and
Access to social service and infrastructure.
Access to land: Statistics of families occupying forestland is estimated at 100,000 family members of employees alone. These families do not have any legal status and are vulnerable to evictions. The insecurity of tenure status of these families is sometimes a cause for instability and conflict. This problem is not confined to forest land only but, it is common to state and privately owned land throughout South Africa both in rural and urban areas. The land reform programme is therefore very important in addressing these problems. Communities living in forest land require some livestock grazing and cropping to supplement or sustain their livelihood. In some cases the forest industry allows communities to graze their cattle on forest land and allow them to collect firewood and other non-timber forest products.
Economic opportunities: Companies such as Mondi and Sappi also outsource some timber from communities using out-grower schemes.
5. FOREST RESOURCES
5.1. Land ownership
Of the total surface land area, 84% is farm land, 10% is nature conservation, 1% and 4.8% other land (DBSA 1994);
Of the total farmland and nature conservation, 23% is natural forest and woodlands and only 7% of this resource is conserved in national parks and nature reserves;
White owned farmland accounts 87% of the total land area and the remaining 13% is black-owned subsistence farmland in the former homelands.
5.2. Forest land ownership
Forestland is estimated at 1.48 million ha (1.1% of the total land area). Of this land:
46% is forest industry companies;
24% is private individuals;
17.2% is SAFCOL; and
12.8% is public.
6. LAND USE
6.1. Comparison of land use
Of the total land area:
Sugar cane 411,000 ha
Wheat 1.4 million ha
Forestry 1.5 million ha
Maize 3.9 million ha
Plantation area by species
Species |
Private (ha) |
Public (ha) |
Total |
Softwood |
432,992 |
364,618 |
799,610 |
E. Grandis |
386,295 |
55,099 |
441,394 |
Other gum |
134,507 |
22,063 |
156,570 |
Wattle |
104,000 |
8,029 |
112,029 |
Other |
4,803 |
5,732 |
10,535 |
Total |
1,062, 597 |
455,541 |
1,518,138 |
Source : DWAF 1996/97
7. NEW AFFORESTATION OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS
Years |
Softwood |
Hardwood |
Total |
Softwood |
Hardwood |
1990/91 |
24.804 |
20.619 |
45.423 |
55% |
45% |
1991/92 |
15.959 |
12.282 |
28.241 |
57% |
44% |
1992/93 |
9.925 |
6.653 |
16.578 |
60% |
40% |
1993/94 |
10.366 |
8.283 |
18.649 |
56% |
44% |
1994/95 |
6.705 |
6.435 |
13.14 |
51% |
49% |
1995/96 |
4.761 |
7.186 |
11.947 |
40% |
60% |
1996/97 |
4.239 |
6.95 |
11.189 |
38% |
62% |
Total |
76.759 |
68.408 |
145.167 |
53% |
47% |
8. FOREST PRODUCTS PRODUCTION, TRADE, And CONSUMPTION
8.1. Sales at processing plants by volume
Product |
Units |
Volume |
Sawn Timber |
M3 |
1.32 |
Pulp |
Tons |
2.92 |
Mining Timber |
Tons |
565 |
Poles |
M3 |
134 |
Charcoal |
Tons |
27 |
Chips / Mill Residues |
Tons |
1.155 |
Firewood |
Tons |
3 |
8.2. Export of forest products 1997
Product |
Production |
Exports |
Imports |
Apparent |
(RSA) |
(RSA) |
Consumption | ||
Graphic papers | ||||
Uncoated Paper |
279,000 |
16,000 |
73,000 |
336,000 |
Coated Paper |
63,000 |
1,000 |
110,000 |
172,000 |
Newsprint |
332,000 |
182,000 |
4,000 |
154,000 |
SC Mechanicals |
81,000 |
35,000 |
2,000 |
48,000 |
Packaging papers | ||||
Linerboard |
613,000 |
186,000 |
1,000 |
428,000 |
Fluting |
248,000 |
4,000 |
2,000 |
246,000 |
Other Kraft |
149,000 |
22,000 |
41,000 |
168,000 |
Paper- & fibreboard |
137,000 |
4,000 |
91,000 |
224,000 |
Tissue |
145,000 |
10,000 |
2,000 |
137,000 |
Total paper & board |
2,047,000 |
460,000 |
326,000 |
1,913,000 |
Pulp |
||||
Paper Pulp |
1,780,000 |
210,000 |
80,000 |
1,650,000 |
Dissolving Pulp |
520,000 |
520,000 |
0 |
0 |
Total pulp |
2,300,000 |
730,000 |
80,000 |
1,650,000 |
9. OTHER FORESTRY PRODUCTS AND ROLES
9.1. Fuelwood consumption
Biomass accounts for almost 10% of the net national energy consumption and amounts to 11 million tonnes per annum. The major proportion of this biomass based energy is utilised by rural households and 6.6 tons/annum is consumed by semi-rural households in the homelands with the remainder being used by farm workers (3.5 million tons), other rural households (less than 0.5 million tons) and urban households (0.7 million tons).
9.2. Fuelwood supply
Source |
Volume |
Former homeland areas |
Average 5.8 million tons per annum |
Woodlots from former homelands |
100 000 tons |
Commercial forestry |
Between 2 and 4 million tons of plantation residue |
Invasive alien |
2.5 million tons on commercial farms |
9.3. Forest management law and policy
The purpose of the New Forest policy is to promote the forest sector so that it is able to provide forest goods and services now and in future. It extends to any resource that provides forest goods and services and any other activity that relates to tree based resources. The new forest act as such provides for effective protection, management and utilization of all types of forest resources in order to promote the sustainable development of the forest including ecosystem and ecological resources they contain for the benefit of all the people in South Africa.
Estimated capital in the forest products industry (at current market prices)
Industry |
Percentages |
Pulp and paper mills |
80.0% |
Sawmills |
17.6% |
Other mills |
1.9% |
Mining timber mills |
0.5% |
Total investment |
R 18.5 billion |
9.5. Institutional strengthening and capacity
A strategy of human development is now being developed. This strategy needs to address the following key areas:
Training standards and learning outcome to enable trainees to gain skills and knowledge;
Career paths in forestry and related fields;
Enhance the overall productive capacity and competitive capability of the forest sector.
9.6. Sustainable forest management
The development of the forest sector comes with environmental and social costs and benefits. This development must be directed by the appropriate and effective environmental management systems, procedures and regulations. This will ensure conformity with the South African environmental policy and best practice internationally.
The development of criteria and indicators will improve resource use planning, to access the outcome of forest management, provide a basis for continuos improvement and assist communicating the state of South African forest resources.
The new water act endeavour to ensure that the nation's water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in the following ways:
meet the basic human needs of present and future generation;
promote equitable access to water;
protect aquatic and associated ecosystems and their biological diversity;
promote beneficial use of water in the public interest;
redress the results of past racial and future discrimination; and
manage floods and droughts.
9.7. Outlook and future
Outlook of the consumption of industrial roundwood in S.A (`000m3) in 1995/96 and projection to year 2020 in various products categories based on a scenario of GDP growth of 25% (LHA)
Product category |
Volume of roundwood sold from plantations 95/96 |
Projected consumption for the domestic market and exports 2020 |
Lumber (sawn timber) |
4,745 |
7,870 |
Pulpwood and chip exports |
10,920 |
24,130 |
Mining timber |
2,560 |
2,560 |
Other |
1,070 |
2,585 |
Total |
19,295 |
37,145 |
The forest sector is exposed to globalisation and as such it is a part of many of the activities taking place internationally. These include:
The Forest Resource Assessment 2000; and
The development of criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management.
In South Africa the following activities are taking place:
The Chief Directorate: Forest will produce every three years South Africa's "State of the Forest" report;
All the state forest are currently being restructured;
The new water and forest have been promulgated;
There is a national initiative to develop a Natural Resource Accounting system; and
The "State of the Environment" report is in current production.
12. CONCLUSION
South Africa is in a transitional period. New policies and acts are being developed in the interest of all South Africans. The slowdown of economic growth, due to unforeseen circumstances has resulted in high unemployment associated with high crime rates. Over the past few years the forest sector has developed 3 important policy documents: the White Paper on sustainable management, the NFAP document a policy framework that directs the implementation of the White Paper and the Forest act. A crucial activity of the next millennium is the implementation of establishing the Forest Resource Information System. In this process care must be taken to ensure that the format of the information is compatible with other national, regional and international bodies.
REFERENCES
DWAF (1997) Commercial timber resources and roundwood processing in South Africa.
DWAF (1997) South African NFAP (1997).
SARB (1998): Annual Economic Report.
