SUMMARY
AbstractThe South African forestry industry contributes to the economic growth of the country by the planting of trees and the processing of these trees for the export market. The purpose of this study is to examine the trends in wood chip exports from the Port of Durban and to examine the stability and growth of private pulpwood production in Southern KwaZulu-Natal. The methodology used in this study includes questionnaires distributed to timber farmers and semi-structured interviews with respondents in forestry. The findings show that wood chip exports from Durban have increased between 2006 and 2011. Dominant challenges faced by the farmers were land reform, transportation costs and municipal rates. Land claims, road infrastructure, cash flow and variation in the demand for timber were the most challenging factors affecting private timber production.