ESG model

Outside of the different stakeholders that are an important part of our business and regenerative approach, we recognise the need and role of different resources that make KAP successful.

These Capitals are  where our focus lies and what helps us drive future oriented strategies. These Capitals are looked at holistically and in an integrated manner, as their interaction and synergies is what make KAP a strong investment opportunity.

Operational review – 31 December 2021

The six months under review were characterised by significant sociopolitical and macroeconomic instability and uncertainty. This environment presented both challenges and opportunities for KAP. Our diversified business model continued to prove resilient and our decentralised management structures continued to support rapid decision-making and provided the required agility to adapt quickly. Management addressed the significant challenges and pursued the prevailing opportunities to produce a strong result for the period.

Revenue increased by 13% to R13.6 billion (1H21: R12.1 billion), operating profit before capital items increased by 41% to R1.6 billion (1H21: R1.1 billion) and headline earnings per share from continuing operations increased by 62% to 37.2 cents (1H21: 23.0 cents) for the period. The group generated cash from operations of R1.3 billion (1H21: R1.7 billion), 24% less than in the prior period, partly due to a strategic decision to increase inventory to mitigate global supply chain risk and ensure business continuity. The group’s balance sheet remains strong, and the group maintained healthy debt serviceability ratios. The group invested R952 million in the replacement and expansion of operational assets and repurchased 65 million of its shares during the period for a total value of R310 million.

Financial Overview

KAP consists of five substantial businesses operating under well-known brands and offering market-leading products and services in strategically selected markets.

PG Bison is the leading South African producer of wood-based decorative panels, which are used for interior applications to create and enable beautiful living spaces.

Restonic is the leading integrated manufacturer of sleep products under the Restonic, iDream and Green Coil brands, as well as retail house brands for major South African furniture and bedding retailers.

Feltex is a leading South African manufacturer of automotive components designed and applied to enhance comfort and style of new vehicles.

Safripol is a leading South African producer of polymers, which are used in a broad range of applications in sectors such as packaging, infrastructure, agriculture and automotive. Safripol is leading the ‘Let’s plastic responsibly’ campaign which is directed toward preventing plastics from entering the environment.

Unitrans is a leading southern African supply chain and operational services company providing customised solutions to clients in a diverse range of sectors, including food, agriculture, petrochemical and mining.

KAP GROWS OPERATING PROFIT TO
R1.6 BILLION AND GENERATES
R1.3 BILLION IN CASH FROM OPERATIONS

Strategic investment in inventory to mitigate global supply chain disruptions and ensure business continuity

Shareholder value enhanced by repurchase
of 65 million shares

Our investment approach

We aspire to build businesses with strong cash-generating capabilities in order to facilitate growth and secure sustainability through economic cycles and in the face of unexpected challenges.

Our investment decisions are guided by the following five strategic filters:

We aspire to be the leaders in the markets we serve. In order to do this, we establish, build and sustain marketleading brands that deliver the innovative products and services we use to offer value-added solutions to our customers. We continuously invest in our brands in order to differentiate our products and services in the marketplace and to create a measurable competitive advantage.

We aspire to be the leaders in the markets we serve. In order to do this, we establish, build and sustain marketleading brands that deliver the innovative products and services we use to offer value-added solutions to our customers. We continuously invest in our brands in order to differentiate our products and services in the marketplace and to create a measurable competitive advantage.

We aspire to be the leaders in the markets we serve. In order to do this, we establish, build and sustain marketleading brands that deliver the innovative products and services we use to offer value-added solutions to our customers. We continuously invest in our brands in order to differentiate our products and services in the marketplace and to create a measurable competitive advantage.

We aspire to be the leaders in the markets we serve. In order to do this, we establish, build and sustain marketleading brands that deliver the innovative products and services we use to offer value-added solutions to our customers. We continuously invest in our brands in order to differentiate our products and services in the marketplace and to create a measurable competitive advantage.

We aspire to be the leaders in the markets we serve. In order to do this, we establish, build and sustain marketleading brands that deliver the innovative products and services we use to offer value-added solutions to our customers. We continuously invest in our brands in order to differentiate our products and services in the marketplace and to create a measurable competitive advantage.

Our post-investment approach

While our strategic filters provide guidance in investment decision-making, the following growth drivers provide guidance and direction in operational execution:

Market share growth
and new markets

We aspire to leverage our investments in people, product, process, technology and innovation in order to remain globally competitive, grow market share in established markets, and enter into new markets.

Investment in people, product, process and innovation

We believe that people, product, process and innovation are the four factors that give us our competitive advantage, create a solid platform for growth, and secure long-term sustainability.

We therefore aspire to attract, retain and develop the best people in the industries and sectors in which we operate. Our culture and values emphasise how important our people are to us, and what a significant role they play in developing and executing our strategy. As a reflection of this, we have a decentralised organisational structure, which gives management teams within the group ownership over their own operational processes. Our approach is to formulate strategic intent at board level, to develop strategy at executive level, and to vest the responsibility for implementation with divisional management.

In addition to our people, we also believe that the best product always wins. That is why we innovate relentlessly, invest in the development of new products and services, pursue the highest levels of quality in everything that we do, and ensure that we consistently offer our customers fully integrated, fit-for-purpose solutions.

Finally, we believe that the most cost-efficient producer always wins. This makes us obsessed with being the lowest-cost producer through ongoing investment in processes, technology and business innovation.

Human capital

We believe that a motivated and engaged workforce creates a sustainable competitive advantage and benefits society as a whole. We are committed to attracting, developing, and retaining the best people, and to creating a winning culture that embraces diversity and celebrates the contribution of every employee. 

Overview

At KAP, we have a strategic and multifaceted approach to attracting, developing, and managing our human capital, including key talent in specialist areas of the business. In the period under review, we employed up to 19 063 permanent and seasonal employees in both South Africa and the African countries we serve. Seasonal workers are employed primarily by the Unitrans Africa division, which provides a wide range of services in the agricultural sector.

Through our regenerative approach, human capital is a key area that we focus on generating both a collective benefit and a positive impact. Throughout the business, the human capital function remains focused on building the skills, knowledge, and experience required to meet our strategic objectives, as well as on providing a safe and sustaining environment for our employees. In order to support the implementation of KAP’s growth strategy, we will continue to build strength and capacity in the area of human capital.

Facts

Human capital strategy

supportive culture that will provide opportunities for all employees to grow and develop, and to be rewarded for exceptional performance and stewardship.
The following pillars of our human capital strategy will ensure that KAP is an employer of choice, with culture, policies, and procedures that set high expectations while also providing a stimulating and inclusive environment for our people:

Employee value proposition (‘EVP’): 
The EVP describes what KAP stands for, what we offer in terms of a total employee experience to employees, and the responsibilities they are expected to fulfil. The EVP of each company is unique to the company but in line with the KAP overarching EVP.

Organisational culture and commitment: 
Organisational behaviours that will support our values and objectives include strong leadership which facilitates employee understanding of strategy and of how value is created, promotes individual and team performance, creates a positive working climate, and empowers employees with the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their responsibilities and to make good decisions. We have developed a framework to assess our people culture and implement people initiatives that will enable us to create a high-performance culture across the group. This will be supported by the implementation of an outcome-based performance management and reward system that will translate divisional strategic priority areas and success factors into measurable individual employee performance targets.

Succession planning: 
We have developed a common succession planning framework to enable all of our divisions to identify and develop the next generation of leaders, empowering them with critical management and technical skills to assume additional responsibility at the appropriate time.

Leadership development: 
Leadership development is fundamental to our goal of creating management depth and supporting individual growth across all management levels. Our long- term plan is to develop a leadership philosophy and roadmap that will improve and develop the skills, capabilities, and abilities of current and future leaders throughout the organisation. To support the implementation of our strategy, we plan to invest in information systems that will enable us to improve on our decision-making about talent and about how it is organised throughout the group. All of our divisions are in the process of reviewing their human capital information systems in order to improve divisional data and process standards, and to align them with their human capital and financial requirements. We anticipate that this process will be completed during FY22. 

For details of current levels of achievement please view our integrated report

Code of ethics
human capital

Human capital demands the focus in many areas to ensure a total stakeholder benefit is ensured. KAP as a group defined its approach based on local and global best practice and policies. These areas of focus include:

Social, cultural and relationship capital

We acknowledge our responsibility as a corporate citizen to support the communities in which we operate and to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country as a whole.

Overview

At KAP, our social responsibility programme focuses primarily on projects that address poverty and unemployment. We also support youth-focused projects that enhance education, nutrition, and community development in the areas in which we operate.

All of our divisions identify and are involved in social projects that are aligned with their strategies and are in close proximity to their operations. They actively engage with community members and work with community organisations, non-profit organisations (‘NPOs’), and service delivery organisations to develop appropriate projects and to execute them successfully to the benefit of the recipients. A few examples are mentioned below.

Human rights

KAP subscribes to the principles of human rights, as expressed in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996), the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), and the 10 principles set out in the United Nations Global Compact (2000). Human rights principles are incorporated into all of our policies and practices, and are an integral component of our code of ethics.

Community relations

Some of our manufacturing businesses operate in communities that have been negatively affected by unemployment, poverty, poor service delivery, and related socio-economic issues. As many of our workers live in these communities, we are deeply committed to ensuring that they are stable and sustainable. Each division therefore deals directly with the local communities situated near their operations through recognised community-based structures in order to facilitate positive socio-economic development in the area. Our approach to community relations is based on building mutually respectful, beneficial, and lasting relationships with all community stakeholders through transparency, social justice, integrity, and accountability.

Given the extent to which we engage with communities, our community relations strategy enables our businesses to maintain mutually beneficial and stable relations with communities and local authorities in the areas in which they are situated.

For example, the Durban-based PET plant of our polymers division, Safripol, established a community engagement forum in 2016 to facilitate discussions with local communities regarding potential employment opportunities following an upgrade to the plant. The forum continues to meet on a regular basis to discuss various issues of importance to affected communities, including environmental issues, community health and safety, employment, and the provision of financial support to local schools.

In another example, as our PG Bison cluster in the Eastern Cape is the biggest employer in the region, we have a great deal of responsibility to the communities in Ugie and Maclear, where our forests and board plant are situated. We use an integrated community engagement approach to facilitate relations with these communities. Our activities include a community forum that is managed and supported by the local and regional municipality, direct engagement with the provincial government, and partnerships with local taxi associations and small business associations. We also support the local municipality in the provision of key infrastructure and services.

Our logistics businesses engage with communities in a similar way. Unitrans South Africa has a 36-year service relationship with Richards Bay Minerals (‘RBM’). As incidents of violence and unrest frequently occur in the communities neighbouring RBM operations, Unitrans has partnered with the leadership of the local traditional authority and other community structures to address some of the causes of this instability. This partnership has gained the required level of acceptance within these communities, and enables us to make a positive contribution to social development and to run our business operations effectively. On various mine personnel transport contracts, Unitrans Passenger also partners with communities. 

Community development and outreach

In the area of community development and outreach, we support a number of initiatives across the country. One of these is the PG Bison Safe-Hub in Knysna in the Western Cape. The Safe-Hub programme is an award-winning, world-class, evidence-based, impact- measured youth development programme that uses sport and education to intervene in the long-term trajectory of its participants’ lives, creating hope and opportunity through training, education, and pathways to work and leadership. Safe-Hub, which is based on a social franchise model, was founded in Khayelitsha in Cape Town in 2008 and has since developed a national presence, with Safe-Hub programmes operating in Gugulethu, Diepsloot, Tembisa, Alexandra, Soweto
and Knysna.

Another KAP-supported project is the Heartlands Baby Sanctuary in Somerset West in the Western Cape, which is a temporary residential safe-care facility that can accommodate 25 children (up to the age of six) at a time. It provides specialised care for children in urgent need of care and protection, who are placed at the sanctuary by court order. The facility, which is a registered child and youth care centre, has cared for 280 children over the past five years.

In addition, KAP has been partnering with the sani2c initiative since its inception in 2004. sani2c is a three-day mountain bike event that attracts over 2 000 riders per event and provides permanent and temporary employment to the local community. The event has a positive impact on a very wide community and provides much- needed funds and employment in the area. Sixteen local schools are now the recipients of the funds raised through entries to the race and sponsorships. The sani2c Community Development Trust, in partnership with the Southern Lodestar Foundation’s Breakfast Programme, feeds almost 2 000 school children daily along the sani2c route.

Education

Rural schools in South Africa are often under- resourced and face significant challenges in terms of infrastructure, resourcing, and curriculum delivery. Since 2009, PG Bison has partnered with an organisation called Infundo to create and implement
the Ugie CREATE Initiative education and community development project. Infundo is an independent Level 2 B-BBEE social enterprise consultancy specialising in educational development throughout the country, including the rural areas of Ugie and Maclear in the Eastern Cape, where PG Bison operates. Since the inception of the project, pass rates have improved significantly. Last year, one of the Ugie CREATE Initiative-sponsored schools achieved a matric pass rate of 100%.

With the advent of Covid-19, Infundo facilitated a partnership between the CREATE Initiative schools and St Peter’s College, a private school in Johannesburg. St Peter’s College agreed to share its online lessons and resources to ensure that the learners in these schools would be able to keep up with the curriculum while lockdown restrictions kept them at home. Not only was the partnership able to do this through various levels of lockdown, it has also significantly improved the quality of lessons being delivered in rural areas.

In the southern Cape, PG Bison works with the Knysna Educational Trust to manage two crèches in Brackenhill and Ruigtevlei. The division supplied and maintains the classrooms at these facilities and provides funding for three educators.

Our Polymers division, Safripol, also supports two educational programmes, the LUSA Community Chest Impact Fund and the Komati Foundation. Further, Restonic, Safripol, and Unitrans Passenger again sponsored 38 learners with disabilities at the Skills Development Corporation. These learners, who are registered with their relevant SETAs, are being taught work-related skills. 

Nutrition

In communities affected by poverty, nutritional support for vulnerable people, including young children and learners, is an invaluable social contribution.

Unitrans South Africa therefore encourages its employees to volunteer one working day per month to repackage food for FoodForward SA. This is an NPO that collects surplus food from manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, and repackages it
for distribution to early childhood development organisations, women’s empowerment groups, and day-care centres, reaching nearly 500 000 at-risk individuals. Unitrans has also donated a truck to FoodForward SA and maintains it on an ongoing basis. In addition, the division provides logistics assistance for the distribution of food parcels as part of the Feed the Nation campaign, as well as funding for meals at the Steinthal Children’s Home in Tulbagh and Emmanuel Educare, which provides nutritional support for children in crèches.

PG Bison in the southern Cape supports the local Brackenhill community, which has a feeding scheme for residents in need. The division has provided the scheme with gas stoves and supplies it with gas and ingredients that that enable them to feed more than 60 children a day. It also partners with an NPO called Judea Hope, as well as farmers and businesses in the area, to support a feeding scheme in the Ugie area. The scheme supports seven local crèches by distributing meals to over 300 pre-school children every day and distributes food parcels to elderly people in the community. Five vegetable tunnels that PG Bison established at the early childhood development centres in the area continue to produce vegetables that are used to supplement the food parcels. The tunnels have also created employment for the local community, and any excess vegetables are sold to generate income for the schools. In FY21, the division provided R400 000 in funding for the expansion of the vegetable garden project. The expansion was undertaken to accommodate a further group of people from the community, who will be using the garden to grow vegetables as a source of income. The funding was used to install additional fencing, purchase more gardening implements, and to install reservoirs and pumps.

Human rights policy

Facts

Natural capital

KAP is committed to protecting natural resources, reducing waste, and investing in technologies that reduce our environmental impact. We acknowledge that this is an ongoing process, which requires continuous monitoring and action. We have therefore developed standards and procedures to govern all of our activities and to ensure that negative environmental impact is prevented or mitigated where possible. KAP believes in being the change.

Governance

At KAP, the preservation and protection of the natural environment is one of our key priorities. The ultimate responsibility for environmental impacts rests with the board, which is responsible and accountable for legislative and regulatory compliance, including the management of environmental risks and opportunities. The divisional CEOs are responsible for environmental compliance at divisional level and are assisted in the day-to-day management of these issues by managers within their respective divisions. Environmental policies and procedures exist throughout the group and are supported by environmental management systems including, where relevant, ISO certification for some divisions.

Climate change

Our response to climate change continues to evolve. We are considering aligning our climate change reporting with the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (‘TCFD’) and nominating a dedicated board member to oversee climate-related issues. We have adopted the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (‘UN SDGs’) to assist us in improving our reporting. Through our integrated risk assessment process, we continue to identify, assess, and manage environmental risks. Climate change has the potential to impact on weather and to lead to extended drought conditions. This, in turn, can create an environment in which there is a higher risk of fire in our plantations. We continuously review our fire prevention, protection, and management strategy to minimise this risk. We also continue to invest in fire detection and firefighting capabilities and to implement standard forestry fire prevention practices. We conduct annual fuel load risk assessments and constantly engage with landowners, stakeholders, and communities in order to manage this risk on a collaborative basis. 

Carbon footprint

Our carbon footprint is a measure of the greenhouse gas (‘GHG’) emissions from activities under our operational control. We calculate our carbon footprint in accordance with the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (‘IPCC’) Guidelines (2006). We also make use of the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment’s (‘DFFE’s’) Technical Guidelines for Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification of GHG Emissions by Industry. An independent service provider verifies the accuracy and credibility of our carbon footprint. Divisions that are data providers under the South African National GHG Emission Reporting Regulations report their GHG emissions to the DFFE. These divisions are licensed as carbon taxpayers under the South African Carbon Tax Act (No. 15 of 2019).

Our carbon footprint encompasses both our Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Scope 1 emissions result mainly from the combustion of fossil fuels and are attributable primarily to our supply chain-based operations. Scope 2 emissions are indirect GHG emissions associated with purchased electricity and steam. Our Scope 1 and 2 emissions for the reporting year amounted to 941 748 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Our Scope 1 and 2 emissions increased by 1.90% during the reporting period as our manufacturing volumes and kilometres travelled increased in line with improved economic activity. In the previous year, some of our operations were suspended due to lockdown restrictions imposed by the government to control the spread of Covid-19, which reduced our GHG emissions.

Our energy consumption for the reporting year increased by 2.7% to 2 736 756 MWh, including all fuels used, and electricity and steam purchased. Our operations continue to focus on reducing their energy consumption in order to reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and reduce their impact on the environment. For example, the Integrated Timber division uses renewable biomass to generate heat, which significantly lowers its Scope 1 emissions.

PG Bison owns two plantations, North East Cape Forest (‘NECF’) and Southern Cape Forest (‘SCF’) which, due to its sustainable management practices, are net absorbers of carbon. Sustainably managed plantations absorb carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the trees and soil. The division continues to quantify the carbon absorbed by its plantations and to submit these metrics to the DFFE for approval. The DFFE has approved the carbon absorbed for the 2019 and 2020 calendar years. During the latter period, this was more than 200 000 tCO2e. In terms of our sustainable management practices, for every tree harvested, another tree is planted, which continues to absorb carbon as it grows. The division’s wood-based decorative panels, which are used in the interiors of buildings, and which have a long lifespan, also store carbon. 

Electricity

We have identified electricity consumption as a potential critical risk for KAP. In terms of this we have embarked on a process to develop a clear strategy to mitigate risk, reduce costs, and promote sustainability for the group. Our strategy will encompass the following elements:

  • Perform a baseline analysis of current sources and consumption patterns.
  • Identify opportunities to change the nature of how we consume electricity in order to improve efficiencies and reduce costs.
  • Identify opportunities to invest in new technology to reduce consumption.
  • Identify opportunities to self-generate electricity.
  • Identify opportunities to generate electricity for sale to independent third-party customers.

We have recently employed an energy specialist to formulate this strategy and to assist our operations in reducing their energy consumption. Our electricity consumption increased by 8% in line with increased economic activity.

Diesel

KAP is a large consumer of fuel, primarily through its supply chain-based division, Unitrans. We continue to explore and implement initiatives aimed at improving operational efficiency and reducing diesel consumption, with the following examples noted:

  • The Unitrans Control Tower (‘UCT’) continuously monitors its fleet of vehicles to improve driver performance and reduce idling time, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
  • Unitrans also constantly optimises routing of vehicles to reduce kilometres travelled and fuel consumed.
  • The ongoing investment in the replacement of vehicles with new technology engines materially improves fuel consumption.
  • Ongoing investment in vehicle configuration also materially improves fuel consumption. Unitrans has invested in 50 Performance-Based Standards (‘PBS’) vehicles that operate in a variety of industries, including the mining, agricultural, and petrochemicals industries. PBS vehicles have been designed to increase productivity, improve safety, and reduce fuel consumption, consuming on average 16.94% less fuel per tonne/kilometre than standard vehicles.
  • Unitrans also continues to investigate, implement, and roll out the use of alternative fuels where possible. Unitrans Passenger uses compressed natural gas (‘CNG’) in its buses, enabling it to reduce its GHG emissions by as much as 90%.

Our diesel consumption reduced by 4.1% for the year to 139 million litres.

Water

We have identified water usage as a key focus area for KAP. Water is a scarce resource and key to the sustainability of our various operations. Similar to electricity, we will develop a clear strategy around the sustainable supply, use and discharge
of water, together with the required risk mitigation. We are committed to reducing, recycling and reusing water.

Our strategy begins with reliable measurement. Although we made progress in widening the scope of measurement and improving the accuracy of reporting on our water withdrawal and discharge, there is still room for improvement. Where required, our divisions have water use licences (‘WULs’), which specify the water usage parameters within which they must operate.

PG Bison’s water usage will reduce significantly in the forthcoming year as they will consume the last of the burnt timber that was placed under temporary irrigation after the 2017/2018 forest fires in the southern Cape. The fire-damaged timber was harvested and placed under an irrigation deck to preserve it. Water extracted from boreholes on PG Bison’s property constantly sprayed the timber to prevent insect damage and dry rot. This is standard practice in the forestry industry after a fire has damaged trees. An environmental impact study was done prior to operations commencing and an independent hydrologist routinely monitors the water run-off and the quality of the water. An estimated 80% of the water consumed drains back into the soil. 

Waste

Our divisions are setting targets and implementing projects to reduce waste to landfill. Our waste management goal is ‘zero waste to landfill’. Many of our divisions are already reusing and/or recycling waste.

  • PG Bison recovers internally generated offcuts, sawdust, shavings, peelings, and wood chips, which otherwise would have been disposed to landfills, to produce heat and steam.
  • Restonic recovers and reuses and recycles all its waste. Our Connacher operation purchases waste from the textile and clothing industry and processes it into reusable fibre. This fibre is then sold into the furniture and automotive sector.
  • A significant portion of the waste generated by our Automotive Components division is recovered internally. Offcut textiles are reground for reuse, and felt offcuts are torn up in-house and recycled. Offcut carpets are reground and reused in their milling process.
    Safripol changed their packaging to make it easier to recycle.

The DFFE has introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (‘EPR’) regulations in which industries are required to commit to reducing waste. Safripol, as a member and contributor to Plastics SA, PETCO, and Polyco, is working closely with these organisations to develop EPR plans. Safripol also supports several initiatives currently being implemented by Plastics SA, PETCO, and Polyco. Through Polyco, for example, it supports PACKA-CHING, an initiative aimed at increasing the level of recycling in lower-income areas. This has significantly reduced waste in the environment.

Safripol has also launched its ‘Let’s Plastic Responsibly’ campaign, which is aimed at encouraging consumers to ‘plastic responsibly’ and removing plastic waste from the environment. In addition, it has established waste collection sites and material recovery facilities in various communities in order to reduce plastic waste in the environment, and supports a number of recycling initiatives, such as the Bophelo Recycling Project. The division has also funded the KwaMashu Materials Beneficiation Centre (‘KMBC’), which is a product development hub for developing new durable products using low- value non-recyclable materials that are recovered from the environment. Some of the products developed include pavers, school desks, and modified wheels for wheelie bins.

Safripol continues to work with packaging companies, brand owners, and retailers to develop optimal packaging solutions that reduce and improve the recyclability of the packaging. We have developed products that are more durable in their application, such as returnable PET for a major soft drinks company, which reduces waste in the environment. Safripol also hosts and facilitates an annual sustainability conference in which industry, waste associations, recyclers, industry associations, retailers, and environmentalists participate to develop sustainable solutions.

All hazardous waste is treated by accredited third parties. In some cases, the treatment of this waste also allows for it to be recycled. For example, used oil was collected by accredited third parties, treated, and reused. 

Biodiversity

PG Bison has two plantations and owns 96 157 hectares of land, of which 43 817 hectares is cultivated forestry land. The NECF plantation accounts for 77% of the plantations and is certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council (‘FSC’) (certificate number SGS-FM/COC-011207 and licence number FSC-C139494). PG Bison is also a member of Forestry South Africa (‘FSA’), which oversees the environmental standards for forestry in South Africa.

PG Bison is committed to sustainable forestry practices and the sustainable management of the wildlife that resides within and adjacent to the plantations, as well as to the utilisation of resources and products that take into account the benefit to our employees, adjacent communities, and the public. Forests are biodiversity hubs. Land that is not suitable for commercial forestry is used for other purposes, such as agricultural activities. Our non-commercial land areas have been mapped to record the species of fauna and flora that occur there. These maps include the archaeological, paleontological, and historical sites in those areas. NECF, for example, has a land area of 76 392 hectares, of which 33 551 hectares are under cultivation. The remaining area is used for other agricultural activities or is a protected biodiversity area. NECF also maintains a large herd of cattle on the land, which plays a vital role in reducing the risk of fire. As part of this management process, we have introduced optimised grazing programmes that maintain the biodiversity.

We have also reintroduced a variety of wild animal species into the plantation areas. Some of the animal species that live on the land include Burchell’s zebra, Cape grysbok, blesbok, grey duiker, and the black wildebeest. Some unique Red Data bird species are also found within the plantations, including blue crane, wattled crane, and grey crowned crane.

Environmental policy