At the heart of PG Bison’s strategy is a simple but powerful proposition: if the South Africa timber industry grows and processes more of its own timber, the country can build a stronger industrial base, reduce its dependence on imports, increase jobs across the value chain and unlock new opportunities across the continent.
Responsibility Now, prosperity in the future
As an active member of Forestry South Africa (FSA), PG Bison is deeply embedded across the forestry value chain. The company’s model goes well beyond processing and sales. It owns and sustainably manages its southern Cape and northeastern Cape Forest (NECF) timber plantations, which are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), and then manufactures and distributes finished wood-based panel products to key local and export markets. PG Bison’s Mkhondo medium-density fibreboard (MDF) manufacturing facility is also certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and FSC®.
PG Bison’s timber is sourced responsibly from managed plantations within South Africa and Eswatini. This anchors the company firmly in the local economy and reinforces the long-term sustainability of the forestry value chain. It also aligns directly with the objectives of the Forestry Sector Masterplan to grow local processing capacity, deepen industrialisation and support inclusive economic growth.
Investing for scale, efficiency and competitiveness
PG Bison’s CEO, Gerhard Victor, notes that the company’s investment strategy is deliberate and long-term.
“Our investments in new plants, value-added production facilities and technology are not just about keeping up, they’re about staying ahead. We have increased production capacity to meet the growing demand for wood-based panel products, while ensuring that this demand pulls through into sustainable, local timber procurement.”
Since 2006, PG Bison has undertaken a series of major capital investments to expand operations and upgrade to globally competitive, state-of-the-art technology. These investments are designed to:
- Increase production capacity across key product categories;
- Improve efficiency, quality and consistency to meet world-class standards; and
- Ensure that the growing demand for wood-based products across the continent can be supplied by PG Bison rather than importers.
By strengthening local manufacturing, PG Bison stimulates demand for timber from South African plantations a direct boost for the forestry sector and rural economies that depend on it. In this way, industrial investment and responsible forestry become mutually interlinked. Currently PG Bison produces 700,000 m³ per annum of particleboard and 400,000 m³ per annum of MDF across the Boksburg, Mkhondo and Ugie manufacturing facilities.
Investments that extend beyond increasing production capacity
For Victor, the impact of these investments must be measured in more than cubic metres and the number of boards produced.
“PG Bison’s manufacturing investments are laying a foundation for growth,” he says. “Our motivation to invest extends beyond increasing production capacity; it’s about job creation across the value chain and giving our shareholder a return on investment. It’s about being a catalyst for change in our local economy, empowering the communities in which we operate, and unlocking the full potential of Africa’s forestry and furniture sectors.”
Through its operations, PG Bison supports thousands of jobs in plantations, transport, manufacturing, logistics, retail and the broader furniture value chain. The company’s presence in rural areas helps stimulate local economies, supports small business development and enables skills transfer in communities that often have limited industrial opportunities.
This social impact dimension strengthens the company’s call to policymakers and industry partners: strategic investment in forestry and downstream processing is also an investment in people, skills and inclusive growth.
Promoting growth in Africa
PG Bison’s strategy is not limited to South Africa’s borders. The company sees the African continent as a key growth opportunity for wood-based products, furniture and interior solutions. With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) progressively opening markets and reducing trade barriers, there is a real opportunity to position South Africa as a timber manufacturing hub for the region.
By expanding capacity and building globally competitive production capabilities in South Africa, PG Bison will continue to:
- Serve new and growing markets across Africa;
- Support local furniture manufacturers to export competitively; and
- Strengthen regional value chains based on sustainably produced African timber.
In this way, local investment in technology and capacity becomes a platform for African growth and global competitiveness, not just domestic import substitution.
Combatting illicit imports
However, this vision is threatened by ongoing illicit and unfair imports of furniture and timber-based products. Over the past decade, these practices have undermined local producers, destroyed jobs and weakened confidence in the sector.
PG Bison has taken a strong stance on this issue, calling for closer collaboration between industry and government to:
- Tighten enforcement against under-invoicing, misdeclaration and non-compliance;
- Ensure that existing duty structures are properly applied; and
- Create a level playing field for compliant local and regional producers.
Working together towards a brighter future
As the forestry sector reflects on the past year, PG Bison’s position is clear:
- Invest in local capacity – from plantations to finished products.
- Champion sustainable forestry – to secure long-term raw material supply.
- Back industrialisation and localisation – to deepen value addition and job creation.
- Defend the formal economy – by tackling illicit imports and unfair competition.
- Leverage African opportunities – to drive growth beyond our borders.
PG Bison remains committed to working with customers, timber growers, furniture manufacturers, industry associations and government to build this future
The company’s message is direct: if South Africa wants to grow its forestry and furniture industries, it cannot allow illicit imports to erode the very investments and jobs it is trying to create.
