Firmly Rooted
for future growth

Lion Match Forestry (PTY) LTD

When The Lion Match Company (Pty) Ltd adopted a Tree Planting Scheme across South Africa back in 1922, it could not have predicted that by 2007, it would evolve into what it has become – a substantial independent forestry operation under the name Lion Match Forestry (Pty) Ltd.

Historically, the timber of choice for Lion Safety Matches was poplar and during the early part of the 20th century the bulk of this vital raw material was imported from countries as diverse as Finland, Canada and Eastern Europe. In a drive to reduce its dependency on imports, the company purchased properties in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal in 1927 and the Lion Match factories were provided with poplar from the company’s own farms as well as from extension growers.

By the early 1990s, the incidence of “rust” on the poplar plantations had severely affected the growth rate of poplar. This problem, coupled with the environmental issues surrounding the growing of poplar, resulted in The Lion Match Company (Pty) Ltd investigating other timber species, most notably pine, as alternatives for match manufacture.

Whilst timber is provided to the Rosslyn factory from this business unit, the company still makes use of timber supplied by independent growers and by the state-owned Komatiland forests. Today, 95% of match production in South Africa utilises pine as its primary raw material and The Lion Match Company (Pty) Ltd is approaching the position where it will be fully self-sufficient in terms of timber supply.

The Lion Match Company (Pty) Ltd established a new sawmill in 2015. Its function is to add value through the use of the forestry division’s timber that is not utilised in the production of matches.

An innovative project in this area was the introduction of Nguni and other cattle breeds into the Mpumalanga plantations. By grazing within the fire breaks and the plantations, the cattle reduce the fire load on the properties by clearing weeds, grass and small shrubs, thereby minimising the risk of fires.

Lion Match Forestry (Pty) Ltd also reflects a responsibility to the communities in which it operates. It assists smaller farmers in the company’s areas of operation with the preparation of fire breaks. It supports local schools by providing firewood for cooking, as well as assisting these schools with the development and maintenance of their sports fields and gardens.