South Africa - Forestry

South Africa is sparsely wooded, with a wooded and forested area of about 8.9 million hectares (22 million acres), or about7.3% of the land area. Cutting in indigenous forests is strictly controlled. Commercial forestry covers 1.2 million hectares (31 million acres), with pine and commercial softwoods, eucalyptus, and wattle the principal timbers produced. South Africa is an important producer of wattle and wattle extract, used in the tanning of leather. The timber cut was 30,616,000 cu m (1.1 billion cu ft) in 2000, with 39% used as fuel wood. Sawn wood production was 1,498,000 cu m (52.9 billion cu ft) in 2000; wood-based panels, 476,000 tons; wood pulp, 2,118,000 tons; and paper and paperboard, 2,041,000 tons. Domestic timber production satisfies 90% of domestic needs. Wood is imported for furniture manufacture, railroad ties, and high-quality paper.