An estimated 25,000 timber growers living in Tribal Authorities make a substantial contribution South Africa’s timber industry. The majority of these growers are over 50 years old and many of them are women. The Tribal Authority areas were former “homeland areas” and as a result are remote and poorly serviced, with very few economic opportunities. While growing timber here is challenging, plantation forestry plays a vital role in the livelihoods of these communities.
Rural poverty in South Africa is extreme and exceptional amongst middle income countries. Financial rating agencies cite unemployment, rural poverty and poor educational standards as South Africa’s key economic risk factors. However, if empowered to develop, forestry and agroforestry.
