Sappi Southern Africa
January – June 2021
Sappi
January – June 2021
“Our people, our inspiration”
From the desk of our CEO
When the going gets tough... the tough and brave put one foot in front of the other and just keep going.
“
Times are challenging, but if we driven, passionate, hardworking, This edition highlights some of the
ever doubted our resilience as a dedicated... initiatives and positive outcomes as
We see you, we care and we know you are going
company and as a OneSappi team, As employees and contractors across a result of the can-do attitude of the
the Covid-19 pandemic and its
SSA team from January 2021 to date.
through a difficult time. We just want to take a
associated impacts have highlighted Sappi Southern Africa, we have
exactly what we are made of. displayed all of these characteristics Thank you for being an inspiration!
moment to say thank you for all that you are doing.”
Strong, bold, fearless, adaptable, creative, resourceful, solutions-
Thank you for your
and in true Sappi form, we are tenaciously continuing in this vein going forward.
Thank you for your
Alex Thiel
and more over the past few months,
Chief Executive Officer Sappi Southern Africa
Know that you are valued and appreciated.
Your commitment to making a difference shows
2021 Employee Engagement Survey:
hard work and support dedication and service.
during these difficult
times.
With an excellent
participation rate of
Participation rate per region 25 March 2021 (07h00 CAT)
95.53%, Sappi Southern
Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day on
Together we are great.
Africa’s employees have responded with vigour to the call of making their voices heard to help build an even greater company for all.
Sunda
y, 14 February.
100.00%
65.52%
81.32%
95.53%
The survey results have been collated and analysed by McLean & Company and feedback into the business is currently underway.
Sappi North America
Sappi Europe
Sappi South Africa
Read more about the results on
0.00% 20.00% 40.00%
60.00% 80.00%
100.00%
pages 03-05.
2.
Sappi Trading
Help to make Sappi even greater by participating in the upcoming
Employee Engagement Survey from 08 March to 02 April 2021.
Sappi Trading Sappi North America Sappi Europe Sappi South Africa
Also amongst the high performing scores in the SSA region were company culture (69%), co-worker relationships (68%), departmental relationships (67%), and employee empowerment (67%).
“In support of our Thrive25 strategy to build an exciting future in woodfibre by providing value-adding products and building trust with all our stakeholders, we have taken a fresh look at measuring what matters most to Sappi’s employees, namely relationships and trust,” says Senior Manager Leadership & Change, Catherine Hinrichsen.
Changing service providers to McLean & Company gave us access to useful tools such as manager reports, dashboards and ongoing access to pulse surveys to keep track of progress made on initiatives implemented.
This year, we also moved from a paper-based to an online survey and hardcoded demographics to ensure the integrity of the feedback from our employees.
Striving towards an engaged workforce
The overall objective of the survey
is to help establish a fully engaged workforce that extends beyond merely having ‘satisfied’ employees (people who feel comfortable and generally
happy that their needs are being met). Engaged employees, on the other hand, are energised, passionate, and dedicated. They are innovative and consistently exceed performance expectations. Engaged employees have a sense of purpose and
pride and help each other for the betterment of all and not for what they will get in return.
Engaged
employees stay with
the organisation for the contribution they make to it; not because of what they can get from it.”
SSA engagement is on par with benchmark
The 2021 survey revealed that 60%
of SSA staff are engaged – feeling passionate about and dedicated to Sappi, whilst 11% are disengaged. This compares well with the rest of the group: Sappi Trading – 64% engaged, 8% disengaged; Sappi Europe – 49% engaged, 12% disengaged; and Sappi North America – 46% engaged,
16% disengaged.
Groupwide, our employee engagement level is 53,5%, slightly lower than the benchmark of 57%.
Many of us would identify Sappi as a great place to work In the survey’s ‘employee experience’ category, SSA employees indicated that they are keen supporters of Sappi and are highly likely to recommend the company to qualifying family
and friends as a great place to
work (with a rating of 9.2 This was followed by Sappi Trading staff,
who are more passive about their experience (scoring 7.6), but still likely to recommend Sappi as a great employer. Sappi Europe scored 6.5, which is still above the benchmark average of 6.3. In Sappi North America, the score is 2.0. Our global employee experience rating is 7.1.
Continue 3.
January – June 2021
Thank you for believing in Sappi’s potential
2021 Employee Engagement Survey feedback
What emerged from the 2021 Employee Engagement Survey
is that employees in Sappi Southern Africa value our focus on
customers (scoring highest at 73%), they enjoy the working environment (73%) and they believe in our company potential (71%). These are the three drivers of engagement that scored best in the survey.
January – June 2021
Thank you for believing in Sappi’s potential (continued)
High and low performing areas
The survey also focused on
drivers that measure engagement (empowerment, development, rewards, relationships etc), retention (such as compensation, benefits, work-life balance etc), and personal disposition (emotional outlook, state of mind etc); all things that impact the overall engagement at a job or organisational level.
Globally, the three areas that scored highest were the Sappi working
environment (75%), our focus on customers (73%), and co-worker relationships (70%). Also amongst the high performing scores globally were company potential, employee empowerment, and company culture (all at 68%), followed by manager and departmental relationships (64% and 63% respectively) and work-life balance (61%).
In SSA, the lower performing areas were learning and development
(55%), senior manager relationships (54%), benefits (42%), and rewards and recognition (41%).
Another new tool offered by McLean & Company is a priority matrix, which prioritises drivers based on their score in relation to the impact they have
on overall engagement levels. Areas that should be focused on in SSA include senior manager relationships, manager relationships, learning and development, and work-life balance.
The driver scores in SSA (against the McLean manufacturing benchmark, which is based on companies of various sizes in the industry).
Customer Focus Working Environment Company Potential Culture Coworker Relationships Department Relationships Employee Empowerment Work Life Balance Manager Relationships Learning and Development Senior Management Relationships Benefits Rewards and Recognition Compensation
0%
76% 73%
71% 69%
68% 67% 67%
66% 61%
55% 54%
42%
41% 36%
65% (+12) 78% (-5) 57% (+15) 62% (+7) 70% (-2) 56% (+11) 66% (+1) 60% (+6) 62% (-1) 47% (+9) 50% (+4) 46% (-4) 43% (-2) 39% (-3)
4.
< 40% Low Performing
40%-60% Average Performing
> 60% High Performing
Previous Year Benchmark
100%
January – June 2021
So, what’s next?
A total of 90 HR business partners from across the Group have participated in a workshop to help sharpen their skills to assist the business in rolling out the Engagement Survey results.
The next phase in our Engaged2Thrive engagement journey is the roll-out of the results across the business units. This will include team level engagements, where there are six or more employees that have shared their views during the survey.
We invite employees to participate in the focus group discussions at their units to help identify the key actions required to make Sappi an even greater place to work.
An implementation tracking model has also been introduced to track progress of actions against plan. Employees can expect report backs in regular intervals, ranging from monthly (team level) to quarterly (global updates).
We are excited about what the future holds as together we build an even better place to work with the input and feedback from our employees.
More numbers
The participation in the SSA region was above 95%, giving us a very high validity level on the feedback received.
The global participation rate of 84% is well above the average participation rate (79%) for an organisation of this size.
Overall engagement levels across SSA operations varied between 71% (Stanger Mill and Head Office) engaged, and 38% engaged (for Trade SA). McLean & Company’s Manufacturing benchmark is 51.2%.
The benefits of good engagement levels in Sappi:
For employees:
• People have a greater sense of purpose and belonging.
• Engaged employees have passion for what they do.
• There is increased collaboration with an engaged workforce, which leads to greater innovation.
• People are more likely to work as OneSappi, supporting one another.
• Employees are more likely to exceed their own expectations.
Benefits for the company: improved staff retention rates, higher levels of productivity, increased workplace happiness, better collaboration, greater commitment to Sappi’s vision, better communication and, ultimately, improved profitability.
95%
84%
5.
January – June 2021
Thrive25 strategy making good progress
During the second quarter results presentation to staff, Sappi CEO Steve
Binnie reflected on the progress made with our Thrive25 strategy. He reiterated that the first of the two strategic phases is about deleveraging the business: optimising our operations and getting the debt leverage back to profitable levels.
“I believe that with our steady recovery in profitability, and as we project that forward into the new financial year, we will be very close to our targeted two times debt to EBITDA ratio by the end of2022.”
Phase one of the strategy is about being conservative in our decision-making, driving operational performance, containing costs, optimising working capital and tightly managing capex. These will lay a strong foundation on which to invest for future growth in the second phase.
“But we won’t lose sight of growing longer-term and evaluating potential future opportunities,” Steve said.
Steve gave a progress report of the four fundamentals of the strategy.
01 Growing our business – which is focused on reducing our dependency on declining markets and driving new products into areas of growth.
Some investments that are currently underway:
• Saiccor Mill’s dissolving pulp
expansion, Project Vulindlela.
• The rollout of Project Big Rockstar in the European business aimed at
barrier-coated technology, which will strengthen our position in Specialty grades. It will be rolled out to other mills globally.
• The ramp-up of board grades at Somerset and Maastricht Mills.
• A strong focus on R&D, with further investments planned for the future.
02 Sustaining our financial health Several steps have been undertaken to strengthen the balance sheet and the risk has been substantially reduced.
“We have renegotiated covenants, refinanced bonds, and issued new convertible bonds. All of these combined, together with the great work on efficiency and procurement savings, is ensuring that our balance sheet is strengthening at a rapid pace,” said Steve.
03 Driving operational excellence – with several projects underway to achieve this, including:
Project Synergy is a new manufacturing operating system that is currently in the blueprint phase, and which will ultimately extend across the group.
Project Pelati looks at our supply chain and logistics systems and is aimed at developing a stronger digital offering.
It will entail the implementation of a new digital strategy across Sales, Supply Chain and Finance, and will be rolled out across the business.
“The overarching goal of all these projects is to improve the
way we do business and support our operations into the next phase,” said Steve.
04 Enhancing trust – supporting our sustainability message. The results of the recent 2021 Engagement Survey have been analysed and are currently being communicated to the business. “Importantly, the feedback from staff will be put into actionable items to help grow and improve Sappi – ensuring our future sustainability,” commented Steve.
“We are also excited about committing to science-based sustainability targets, which once determined, will be audited and communicated publicly,” said Steve.
Other interventions to enhance trust include the formation of a Supplier Code of Conduct and third-party audits.
The Sappi website has been refreshed to align with our new brand position. Also, further expanding our public presence and promoting our business and
social responsibility activities, we have launched a consolidated presence on the LinkedIn social media platform.
6.
January – June 2021
Sustainability now embedded in the Thrive25 strategy
Sappi’s strategy and 2025 targets
are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). “We are also launching
a global and regional drive to build understanding and integrate the SDGs into our daily activities.”
On the cost side, there is a need to further reduce our carbon emissions.
“Conversely, on the opportunity side, because timber and paper-related products are regarded as sustainable products and a good way of doing business, it will create all kinds of new and exciting opportunities for us, of which we will take full advantage.”
Innovation: unlocking the full potential of every tree we harvest Steve also emphasised that as we come out of the first strategic phase
of focusing on the balance sheet, we will be investing further. “There was already exciting work done, which were temporarily paused due to Covid. But we are going to renew this focus and will be further investing in these areas of new opportunity – whether in the bioproducts space, cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, resins and the like. There are many prospects, especially in the dissolving pulp market and we are excited about these new developments.”
Employees asked...
Some questions from staff were highlighted during the Q&A session:
Q: Our share price rose gradually over the past six months, but then started to drop recently. Is this a normal trend? Steve Binnie (CEO Sappi Limited): The initial recovery was linked to
the bounce-back from the lows of Covid-19. The temporary pause seen in recent weeks can be attributed
to the fact that we chose a muted approach to our financial outlook
after Q2. Recovery is not a straight
line upwards. There will be setbacks, and we choose to be cautious. But, if there is a recovery in Sappi Europe as we have experienced in our other two regions, there isn’t a reason why our share price cannot jump substantially from current levels.
Q: Was the lack of oxygen supply to our mills in SSA due to the need for oxygen in treating Covid-19 patients?
Alex (CEO Sappi Southern Africa): There was enough oxygen in SA, but not enough capacity to transport it
to our mills. We have now leased our own vessel capacity, so if there are more hick-ups, there will be enough transport to serve our mills.
Q: What is the status of Sappi’s cybersecurity focus?
Glen Pearce (Group Chief Financial Officer): It is a priority item for the Sappi board, and we are continuously looking for ways to reduce the risk.
The incidence of ransomware has increased substantially, but we have upped our security measures by setting aside a team within IT Security to deal with it and to mitigate whatever risks we are confronted with. It is ultimately about user awareness; making sure that when we do get phishing emails and the like, we know how to react.
Q: What are examples of decarbonisation across our regions?
Alex: In SSA, Project Vulindlela involves an installation of a third recovery boiler, which allows us to
eliminate coal usage in the mill by approximately 200,000 tons. We also have excess steam in the SSA business, so we’re looking at several turbine generator opportunities. Furthermore, we are blessed with plenty of sunshine in SA and have several projects in the concept-phase using solar voltage panels to generate energy.
Q: How do we further improve OneSappi throughout the organisation?
Steve: In terms of the OneSappi message, we have come a long way
in the last few years, but we still have some way to go. The many projects that are currently on the go – a new mill operating system, a new logistic system, a new way of dealing with customers, a digital strategy – may appear to be IT-related, but they are much more. They aim to give us the platform and processes to operate in a more consistent, OneSappi manner.
7.
January – June 2021
Help Sappi grow: we welcome your great ideas!
Do you have a great idea, big or small, to help grow the business? A suggestion to help us be more efficient, productive or innovative? Share it with your line manager in support of Project Mafube, which works alongside our Thrive25 strategy to help create a sustainable future for the SSA business and its people.
The overarching goal is to grow
the region’s EBITDA by ZAR500 million each year by saving costs, improving efficiencies and running our operations more sustainably. But more than that it is about every employee finding opportunities that will help generate revenue.
Every bit helps
The things you can do more of to help Sappi achieve these targets:
• Be a team player.
• Do your job well by doing
things right the first time.
• Find smarter ways of working.
• Prevent injuries. Look out for yourself and others.
• Understand what you and your team can do to play your part in assisting the business. Speak to your line manager to get clarity if required.
• Prevent unnecessary expenses. Ask yourself: “How can I do
this better, safer and more affordable?”
• Remember, you are the expert in your job. Rethink what you are doing and how you are doing it.
• Reduce waste, especially of materials, energy, time and fibre.
• Innovation for the generating of revenue.
What is EBITDA?
EBITDA is short for Earnings Before Interest, Tax Depreciation, and Amortisation.
It is often used as a substitute for cash flow and is a measure of a company’s profitability. It is a good indicator of how well a business is generating income and managing expenses.
8.
Ngodwana Mill has turned their Mafube aspirations into a ‘League of Champions’ competition – encouraging staff to compete in teams as they look for ways to inspire growth for Sappi. This approach has yielded 660 ideas, of which 300 have been approved for implementation. Pictured here are one of the teams who are leading the log in the competition.
Stats to date: How are we doing?
Performance enablement
ZAR305 (as of end May 2021)
million of the targeted ZAR500 million for FY2021 have already been reached.
to double this figure and exceed our EBITDA target by year-end. Let’s go for it!”
Thanks for embracing Project Mafube’s goals
January – June 2021
Alex Thiel (CEO Sappi Southern Africa) says: “Of the ngatagrgetmed ZeARn50t0amnilldionegrmowtph ion EwBITeDrAmforethne FtY2021, the
eliver quality results.
ZAR305 million already achieved thus far can be attributed to
cost savings through Project Mafube. We have the opportunity
Bheki Ndlela, Electrical Engineer: “Sometimes one has to think small to achieve big things, because cost savings depend on small improvements that we make on a day- to-day basis.”
Nhlakanipho Ndlovu (Junior Engineer – Mechanical): “Doing more with less’ is definitely my motto going forward. I intend to look for ways that will not only save costs but will also ensure sustainability.”
Sphamandla Shabalala (Environmental Officer): – “This initiative will assist us in working smartly by reducing unnecessary expenses and finding innovative ways that will help Sappi excel as a global industry leader.”
Zelna Harman (Customer Service Supervisor):
“I strive to add to operational excellence by continuously looking for process improvements, and by doing things right the first time.”
Project Mafube in action
See the excitement of Ngodwana Mill’s Project Mafube League of Champions quarter finals by clicking here.
9.
E d
January – June 2021
Pursuing a zero- fatality year
Our safety motto, ‘I value life’, is by now well entrenched throughout the business and for FY2021, some of our operations have already achieved some impressive safety milestones.
Well done to:
• Stanger Mill – achieved one million manhours without an LTI for own employees. The mill is currently on 1.58 million LTI-free manhours.
• Stanger contractors – achieved three million safe manhours and is currently on 3.66 million.
• Project Vulindlela – achieved five million LTI-free manhours in April 2021.
• Saiccor Mill own employees –
achieved one million manhours on 16 March without an LTI and is currently on 1.32 million.
• Ngodwana Mill own employees – achieved one million manhours without an LTI in March, and is currently on 1.3 million.
• Tugela Mill – achieved 1.8 million manhours for own employees before a lost-time incident in May 2021.
SSA’s safety goal for 2021
- Striving for zero fatalities, and
- A LTIFR of less than 0.36 for own employees.
Our FY2021 year-to-date figures are:
• LTIFR own employees: 0.37 (target for 2021 is 0.36)
• LTIFR for contractors: 0.29 (Target for 2021 is 0.21)
“If we have less than six lost time injuries for the remaining four months of this financial year, we can still achieve our LTIFR target,” says Merten.
Let’s do it!
Employees at Tugela Mill celebrating their two-year injury-free milestone.
This excellent milestone was not only
achieved during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also during one of the biggest expansion
programmes (Vulindlela) in the mill’s history.”
– Beverley Sukhdeo, GM Saiccor Mill
Stanger employees celebrating their 1.58 million LTI-free manhours.
Thank you to all who participated in our Global Safety Awareness Week. Look out for a special edition with an overview of the global activities.
10.
Safety is the backbone of our strategy and purpose
Safety is key to how we do things at Sappi. Even in our value statement, it is the first point of action: As OneSappi, we do business safely with integrity and courage, making smart decisions that we execute with speed.
This means safety is part of Sappi culture; it is the backbone of our everyday attitude, conduct and operations. Whether you sit in an office, oversee the production on a paper machine, test formulas in a laboratory, or work in a plantation, every task must be done safely.
An unselfish act that puts ‘us’ first
Our safety slogan, ‘I value life’, is a reminder that life is precious, and that each one of us has the responsibility to ensure our safety and wellbeing, and that of our colleagues, loved ones and the environment.
It is an act of unselfishness; of not just focusing on ‘me’, but making sure ‘we’, ‘us’ are kept safe, well and protected.
Sappi’s commitment to valuing life also extends to the environment – to protecting and preserving life within our natural surroundings and through all manufacturing processes. This is important, as it ensures the sustainability of the planet and the resources on which we rely.
Committed to zero injuries
Part of our focus on safe behaviour and a culture of ‘valuing life’, is an unwavering commitment to the ultimate goal of achieving zero injuries and fatalities in the workplace.
In the Sappi family, much like your own, we care about the wellbeing and safety of every member. It is unacceptable that a life or a limb should be at stake or lost in the course of business.
Project Zero is our overarching global safety initiative; with each of the regional safety programmes pursuing
the same goal: no injuries and no deaths. We believe this can be achieved with enhanced safety procedures, training and most importantly, a change in behaviour.
Each of Sappi’s safety programmes is underpinned
by risk assessments, group sharing of incidents, root cause investigations, the enforcement of compliance, and leadership engagement. This is achieved through interventions that focus on changing behaviour and guiding engagement to help us make smarter decisions and avoid accidents and injuries at all costs.
Ultimately, as part of our quest to be a thriving, sustainable, profitable business with engaged employees who willingly contribute to Sappi’s success, we need a safe working environment where everyone knows their life is valued.
January – June 2021
Safe and healthy workplaces:
• Have more satisfied, productive workers who:
• Produce higher quality products and services
• Return to work more quickly after an injury or illness
• Feel loyal to the organisation
• Are better places to work
• Retain employees
• Establish positive community relations.
11.
January – June 2021
Thriving through innovation
Think, adapt and act are key to our success
At the 2020 Sappi Southern Africa Technical Innovation Awards (SSA TIA) hosted virtually in March this year, some interesting thoughts and practical tips were shared on how innovation will keep us relevant for the future.
Every job, system and process has room for improvement.”
– Gary Bowles,
Group Head Technology
Examples of agility in the business
Gary says, “In the past year, there has been high activity in many areas of the business with the progress and ramp-up of numerous capital projects
– ie woodyard changes, Project Vulindlela, resilience at Saiccor, great flexibility shown at Ngodwana Mill during the market downturn in the Verve business and plans for a Fibreline 1 machine rebuild on PM1, as well as further investments at Stanger and Tugela Mills with initiatives on packaging grade developments.
We have refreshed our Technology strategy aligned with Thrive25, we are hosting ongoing reviews of the Exciter programme, and are supporting global R&D initiatives with clearer delivery metrics.
Our technical cluster work is also showing an accelerated focus on the 3Ps (People, Planet, Prosperity) – with a specific callout to our sustainability drive in terms of the circular economy, decarbonisation, and plastics-to-paper opportunities.
Each one of us can make a difference, because every job, system and process has room for improvement.
12.
Well done to our regional SSA TIA winner Kobus Kropff, who improved chip yield in the Saiccor woodyard.
What Kobus has learnt from his innovation journey:
“Most of the time there is a simpler
way to solve a problem. Sometimes innovation requires patience, and many baby steps of improvement along the way, which ultimately leads you to the solution. I’m proof that anyone can be innovative!”
– Kobus Kropff, 2020 SSA TIA winner
The 2020 Global TIA trophy was won by Sappi Europe's multisite team (Alfeld, Lanaken, and Maastricht Mills) – Geert Brepoels, René Koehler, Jo Simons and Cees van Esch – who developed Sappi Seal, a paper-based packaging solution with an integrated sealable layer.
How you can drive innovative change
January – June 2021
During the event, Alex shared a checklist of what each of us can do to help drive change.
• Welcome failure rather than accept it. Accepting failure means giving up, quitting. Welcoming failure means seeing it as part of a process from which we can learn and become stronger.
• Constantly check that we’re on the right path. The world continues to change; do we continue
to question? Are last quarter's assumptions still relevant? Have we created a false sense of security?
• Get smarter by learning from successes and failures.
Share those learnings with all our colleagues, so that they have the context to make good decisions.
• Think about the process.
What must be in place to consistently achieve our goals? How do we control and repeat great performance?
• Accountability is key.
Who is responsible for the deliverables? How do my decisions impact other divisions/ areas; as well as the outcome of a project/task?
• How could this task/innovation affect Sappi? Will it have a commercial impact? Will it matter in three to five years from now? Could it change our future?
For Sappi to stay relevant, we need to drive the
change rather than being forced to change.”
– Alex Thiel, CEO Sappi Southern Africa
Adapt or die – a lesson in transformation
A company can have fantastic assets and technology, but if it can’t adapt to changing market and consumer needs, it is likely to fail. VP Manufacturing and Technical Pat McGrady put Kodak’s story* into perspective.
“Kodak was the Google of its day. Until the 1990s,
it was regularly rated one of the world’s five most valuable brands. Then digital hit. At least, that’s what most people seem to believe.
In reality, Kodak had been sitting on the digital camera and digital technology since 1973. Only, they were afraid of the consequences.
Kodak Engineer, Steven Sasson is credited with inventing the first digital camera in 1975, only to put it away for years. When the company started developing its digital strategies, it was too little, too late. By the early 2000s, the speed and size of the digital shift increased to the point of driving Kodak into a death spiral.
Yet, Kodak was attempting to innovate. It had the design, the product and a marketing plan. The company failed, however, in modifying its business model as it believed this would compromise its existing product offering.
Despite its launch of
digital products, the lack of transformation on business model level, led to the eventual death of Kodak.
The lesson of Kodak is that
innovation is not easy, and that even an insightful company can go wrong if it does not push far enough and fast enough into uncomfortable territory.”
*Extracted from a blog by Christian Rangen.
13.
January – June 2021
What’s happening at our SSA operations?
2021 marks a year of opportunities at Sappi and our operations are embracing this challenge.
Successful first step in Vulindlela’s commissioning
It was hands-
on learning for Vulindlela trainees
Bheki Khuzwayo: “The overall experience has been great. I now know exactly what teamwork means, having experienced
it during the commissioning process, and applying what I have learnt in class.”
Zandile Vilakazi Mthembu:
“I have learnt more than I expected. Working with a diverse group of people with different areas of expertise has been a valuable part of my career.”
Excellent collaboration between the project team and operational trainees at Saiccor Mill has led to the successful cold commissioning of the MgO3 brown
stock and screening plant on Project Vulindlela.
As part of the readiness for Vulindlela’s commissioning, this plant was first in line for full flushing and check out.
A Vulindlela training programme was implemented for appointed Saiccor employees who will be operating the newly constructed MgO3 plant.
Vulindlela wrapline upgrade
The C4 wrapline upgrade has also been completed. The take-over production volumes of 80% of design was achieved on 28 May 2021. This is another great team effort from the project and mill teams!
Mill operations and maintenance teams celebrate commissioning success.
Stanger awaiting arrival of Yankee cylinder
A brand-new Yankee cylinder, all the way from Italy, will be delivered at Stanger Mill’s Tissue section in the fourth quarter 2021.
This component in the tissue machine works as a pressure vessel in the
production of
tissue paper.
14.
“It will improve uniform drying, contribute to better condensate removal and higher speed. The Yankee will also reduce
or eliminate high moisture peaks,” says Production Foreman Tissue, Ravi Arunachellan.
A close-up view of the Yankee cylinder.
January – June 2021
CEOs impressed during mill visits
Visible, hands-on leadership has great business and engagement value. Steve Binnie, CEO Sappi Limited, and Alex Thiel, CEO Sappi Southern Africa, have been touring Sappi mills to connect with employees and review the progress made on current projects.
Earlier this year, Alex visited Ngodwana and Lomati Mills. At Lomati, he paid a special
visit to the shelving plant, which has turned
a once redundant space into a thriving, job- creating enterprise. “Every time I visit Lomati I see improvements,” he said.
Stanger celebrates five years of Typek
Stanger Mill employees recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of Typek at the mill. Typek’s production moved from the former Sappi Enstra Mill to Stanger, in May 2016.
Much has taken place at Stanger over the past five years, including the unveiling of the mill’s business strategy that sets out the objective
to thrive and be sustainable. Typek, which was Africa’s first cut paper brand, has been a pivotal contributor to this goal.
Bob Garane and Nombulelo Sikhosana joining in the Typek celebrations.
Alex and Steve during a walkabout at Tugela Mill, where they observed the construction of
the fuel rod plant and the upgrade of the NSSC section at the mill. Steve thanked employees for making a
great contribution towards the business’ achievements.
WOW! Mind-boggling Typek facts:
• 97,000 reams of Typek are produced in one day. If you stacked them in a pile, it would be as high as Mount Kilimanjaro!
• Typek is an acid-free paper with a shelf life of over 1,000 years.
• Typek helps keep ±70,000 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere.
• A sheet of Typek A4 paper has a total water footprint of only 29ml of water.
During his visit to Ngodwana, Alex remarked, “Walking through the mill, seeing the real Sappi and the dedication and commitment of everyone, is one of the highlights of my year.”
15.
January – June 2021
What’s happening at our SSA operations? continued... Project Ihawu to improve production, reduce costs
Tugela Mill’s Project Ihawu
is an initiative to service and upgrade the NSSC section at the mill, which will ultimately increase the production
of Ultraflute Plus on PM2 and reduce costs.
Major items have been ordered and work is underway, with installation planned for the next mill shut. Project completion is expected in March 2022.
Tugela Mills NSSC upgrade will increase production of Ultraflute Plus on PM2.
’
Ngodwana’s biomass plant nearing completion
Construction of the 25MW woodchip biomass power plant at Ngodwana is nearly complete. “We are now busy with commissioning to achieve commercial operation by at least Q4 2021,” says General Manager Ngodwana Energy, Raymond Chirwa.
The project forms part of government’s Renewable
Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme and is set to play a significant role in SA’s renewable energy initiatives.
The plant will use biomass recovered from surrounding plantations and screened waste material from the mill’s production processes.
Tugela fuel rods soon commercially viable
The purpose of the fuel rod plant construction at Sappi Tugela Mill is to provide a commercial demonstration of the fuel rod process that would produce enough fuel rods to supply the coal-fired boilers at Tugela, Stanger, and Saiccor Mills in KZN.
“This plant is the first of its kind in the world, and when the proof of commercial viability is complete, it will be a great success story,” says Mechanical Engineer Merten (Junior) Jansen Van Rensburg.
The construction phase is complete, except for some punch list items that need to be addressed. “We are now able to produce fuel rods, dry them and deposit them either in the boiler bunker or in a storage silo,” says Merten.
The product was sent for tests and the results came back positive, but more work is underway to produce fuel rods that are fully within specifications.
16.
Team effort leads to a ‘green’ solution
The Saiccor Skills Centre team has been investigating renewable energy options to reduce its carbon footprint. A big motivation was the constant load-shedding and power failures that interrupted training activities onsite. Another reason was to reduce the monthly electricity bill. Their hard work paid off and resulted in a solar power system that consists of two solar inverters and 31 solar panels.
In this OneSappi effort, the Skills Centre team designed the system, while some of the fabrication was done by
a boilermaker apprentice. Electrical trainees did the electrical installation.
IT security in good hands
Congratulations to Sappi’s Global Head IT Security, Darryl Potgieter, for being identified as one of the 2021 Global Top 100 Leaders in Information Security.
Darryl, who is based at Sappi’s
Rosebank office, was recognised alongside his peers by Corinium, a specialist market intelligence, advisory and events company. Their inaugural Business of InfoSec Top 100 report identified outstanding work over the past
12 months in information security.
“Knowing that our efforts and contributions to IT security are being recognised, is truly rewarding,” said Darryl.
Ongoing support during Covid-19
The Skills Centre team, working on their solar power system.
Valuing stakeholder relationships
Covid-19 has changed the way we live, work and socialise. In Mpumalanga for Mother’s Day, a small get-together, within protocols, were hosted to show gratitude towards key stakeholders. Our guests loved the gesture.
January – June 2021
Always committed to assisting our communities, Sappi has again donated thousands of litres of sanitiser and masks to schools and health care clinics situated around our operations. The ongoing support is greatly appreciated.
Tugela staff with personnel at the Mandeni Clinic during one of the handovers.
17.
January – June 2021
Covid-19 update
It’s been over a year since the
start of lockdown...
By now we are all well adjusted to the ‘new normal’. But how did Sappi and employees fare from an occupational health perspective? Senior Health and Wellness Manager, Ellenore Melrose, reflects on some facts and figures.
How is Sappi comparing to its industry peers?
I believe we are handling the pandemic very well and have had positive feedback from several external roleplayers such as ISO auditors, Department of Labour inspectors, and doctors. In terms of infections, we are aligned with other industries and the country in general. With each wave, the numbers in our units increase in line with increases elsewhere.
What progress have we made with our vaccine rollout plan? We are prepared and ready, but are awaiting details to register our clinics as vaccination sites in order to vaccinate our employees and their families.
Our clinic sisters have completed Covid-19 vaccinator training, and most importantly, we can keep the cold-chain going thanks to additional cold rooms, backup generators,
and cooler boxes to transport vaccinations where required.
What is our current case, close and casual contacts status? There has been an increase in cases in line with the rest of
SA. We continue to encourage employees to present to our Sappi clinics for testing to ensure we identify all the cases early and effectively.
In the past year, knowledge has empowered us. Most employees come forward if they are a PUI (Person Under Investigation), close or casual contact. Gone are the
days where people think they are positive just because a colleague was diagnosed with the virus.
We also have very few cases where infections originated in the workplace.
Current statistics:
• Over 3,000 tests. Testing continues daily.
• To date, most of our Sappi clinic personnel have been vaccinated, and most of our employees over 60 have registered and are in the process of being vaccinated.
18.
Upskilled to make safety vests
As an extension to the Covid-19 mask-making project at our Sappi Skills Centres, two trainees
at the Ngodwana Skills Centre, Ntombizandile Maseko and Emeldah Mokoena, were upskilled and commissioned to manufacture reflective vests for Sappi staff. Ntombi and Emeldah are part of the Skills Centre’s New Venture
Creation Project. The end goal is to enable them to build a sustainable PPE
small business and, in time, employ more of
the local youth.
Sipho Ngubane from the Rosebank office wearing one of the handmade reflective vests.
Emeldah Mokoena busy sewing the reflective safety vests.
Covid-19: “This is what we’ve learned”
January – June 2021
Glen Pearce (CFO, Group
Finance): “My key lesson
has been the appreciation of
human interaction – being
able to bounce ideas off other
people and getting a different
perspective on your views. Yes,
one can get a lot of work done while working in isolation, but it’s important to have a broader view of things.”
Pravashni Naidoo (SHEQ Manager): “The biggest business lesson for me has been that a good strong strategy allows for flexibility and adaptability in an ever- changing external environment.
Danie Kolver (HR Manager):
“The pandemic and lockdown
taught us to adjust quickly,
and that business can
continue during challenging circumstances. It instilled a
mindset of looking out for others,
valuing life and being cautious at all times.”
Steve Salzwedel (Financial
Manager): “The pandemic
has brought many of Sappi’s
values to the fore. We have
learnt to make new products,
find new customers and adapt
to a mindset of resilience and a ‘can
do’ attitude. It also taught me to value life and people. Be kind to others, because you don’t know what they have to deal with.”
Sidney Nair (Finance Manager): “The pandemic taught me the value of
freedom – the freedom to
move, to be with those we love and to live in dignity and security.”
Sharon Bunting (IT Applications Manager): “The pandemic has taught
me that kindness matters.
Life is not about being rich, popular, highly educated,
or perfect. It’s about being real, humble, and kind.”
Donald Nonyane (Paper
Sciences Manager):
“Working from home blurred
the lines between work time
and personal time, and as
such our team learned to set
clear boundaries. The many
restrictions on movement and recreation also prompted me to take up a new hobby, carpentry.”
Gordon Batho
(Engineering Manager):
“I’ve learned the value
of listening to the
regulations and scientific
recommendations made by
Government and support
specialists. Applying those rules go a long way in protecting yourself, your colleges and your family.”
”
19.
Issue 01 | 2021
“My vaccination experience”
Staff share their stories
With Phase Two of the national vaccination rollout currently underway, many of our health care workers and employees over 60 have responded positively to the process.
“Efficient and painless”
Ganasen Perumaul, Account Manager: Printing and Specialities, Stanger Mill
The efficiency, friendliness and the general conduct of the health care workers at the hospital was commendable.
The vaccine itself was painless, and I had no side effects.
There are many myths doing the rounds, eg that some young people had died within
days of taking the vaccine. Or the ‘experts’ that stated people will live for only two years
after taking the vaccine. Doctors in our family were totally positive about the vaccine, and that boosted my confidence.
I would encourage others to take the vaccine, because...
Building immunity against Covid-19 will help us to reduce the spread to others.
COVID-19
Coronavirus Vaccine
“It saves lives, not destroys them”
Lawrence Zulu – HR Administrator, Tugela Mill:
It was a bold decision to take the vaccine after so many negative comments being made on
social media platforms. Being vaccinated gave me great relief.
Myths that I was confronted with included that vaccinations had more to do with inserting a chip than with helping against Covid-19. Also, that people over 60 can easily die after being vaccinated, which is not true.
I would encourage others to take the vaccine, because...
It is in your interest and for the benefit of your health to get vaccinated. It has been implemented to save our lives, not destroy them.
20.
“Grab the opportunity while it’s there”
YV Pillay, Production Foremen: Tissue, Stanger Mill
I was a bit hesitant but told myself that I have to face it to potentially
save my life. I got the jab and was monitored for 15 minutes for any side effects, which I did not have. I
felt great afterwards, and I look forward to the second of the two Pfizer jabs.
There has been a concern about getting blood clots after being vaccinated. This made some people anxious, and it is completely understandable. But people should be careful about generalisation. Blood clots have only been recorded in very rare cases (six in seven million people).
I would encourage others to take the vaccine, because...
It is meant to save lives. It is an opportunity that should not be missed.
“I felt great relief”
Danie Kolver, HR Manager, Tugela Mill
I was in doubt at first, not about being vaccinated but because of
the different vaccines available. With the introduction of the Pfizer
vaccine, it was an easy decision. I experienced a great sense of relief after
receiving the vaccine; like a heavy load was lifted off my shoulders. It wasn’t painful at all, and my family also felt at ease knowing that we are now all more protected.
I would encourage others to take the vaccine, because...
It would help to minimise the prevalence of Covid-19. Getting vaccinated is for everyone’s safety.
“Vaccination protects lives”
Abraham Zwane, Basic Ambulance Assistant,
Ngodwana Mill:
I decided to vaccinate after having witnessed many people
losing their lives to Covid-19 through my line of work.
One of the myths that I came across was that the vaccination process is a government scam to reduce the population, which is not true.
After taking the jab, I had mild side effects, but nothing serious. I felt a bit dizzy, had slightly elevated blood pressure and perspiration. After about three days I
felt completely normal again. People may experience different side effects if any, but it depends on how strong your immune system is and if there are other underlying health conditions.
I would encourage others to take the vaccine, because...
It’s not worth losing your life to Covid. You can prevent the risk by vaccinating. Overall, it was a good experience and I’m happy that I decided to vaccinate.
January – June 2021
“My vaccination experience” continued “I was nervous at first”
Sister Thobekile Sibisi, Health and Wellness, Saiccor Mill:
I was a bit scared and nervous at first because I didn’t know how my body would react to the vaccine. But I reminded myself that I needed to do this for my benefit and that
of others and that I have nothing to lose.
Some people are worried about side effects, which are most commonly a headache, fatigue, muscle pains, fever and chills, nausea, or a sore arm. However, these symptoms
show that your body is mounting an immune response. The pain/fever can be treated with paracetamol. I only experienced a slight headache and fatigue a day after I took the vaccine, and this only lasted for a day. After that, I was perfectly fine.
I would encourage others to take the vaccine, because...
If you’ve been vaccinated and still get Covid-19, you are very unlikely to get severely ill or die from the disease.
Good to know
If you have registered on the EVDS but are not getting a response, try fast-tracking the process
by registering at: https://v4hcw3.cliniweb.co.za/ book.php (set up by the Unity Forum of Family Practitioners in SA). The site will search for the closest vaccination centre and give you time slots to confirm an appointment.
21.
January – June 2021
Living Sappi’s values despite a tough 2020
Despite the trying times of the past year, some of our colleagues have excelled in making a contribution to the company in line with Sappi’s values of doing business safely with integrity and courage, making smart decisions that we execute with speed.
We applaud their efforts, which earned them CEO Excellence Awards:
Group CEO Award
SSA: James Manana – Along with 29 colleagues from across the group, James received the award for being a key driver and strategic partner of transformation and ensuring proper employee relations in the SSA business.
Sappi Southern Africa CEO Awards
Ngodwana Mill: Adrie Chirgwin, Lungile Nyakane, Maggie Mashiane – For going beyond the call of duty
in providing health services during Covid-19 , whilst carrying out their normal duties.
Sappi Forests: Robyn de Wet – For delivering exceptional health and wellness services to our forestry operations during some life- changing times.
Joined by Alex Thiel (CEO, SSA) are (from left): Robyn de Wet (Sappi Forests), Thabo Shali, Adrie Chirgwin, Maggie Mashiane and Lungile Nyakane (Ngodwana Mill).
SSA: Brian Percival and Angela Teen
– For improving
the service offering to containerboard customers by developing ‘The Sappi Experience’ programme.
Brian Percival and Angela Teen with their awards.
22.
Corporate Affairs: Mpho Lethoko, Samantha Du Plessis, Elsabe Coetzee, Zelda Schwalbach, Verster Brent, Mondli Goba and Anita van Niekerk – For Covid-19 communications across a range of communication channels to keep staff informed and engaged.
From left: Elsabe Coetzee, Zelda Schwalbach, Anita van Niekerk, Alex Thiel, Samantha Du Plessis, Verster Brent and Mpho Lethoko. Insert: Mondli Goba.
Saiccor Mill: Zamakhosi Mthethwa
– For being an inspirational team player and role model to young talent. Her leadership skills and work ethic has helped her to excel in her Sappi career.
Ngodwana Mill – Lance Faul, Marvin Hlabane, Jaco Kruger, Dumisani Mdluli, Alfred Motala, André Holtzhausen, Mandla Nhleko and Thabo Shali – For taking on the responsibility of employee engagement and communication around Covid-19, and
of building trust in a challenging environment.
Saiccor Mill: Derek Simpson and Kumaran Govender – For formulating a recipe to produce hand sanitisers in the mill’s laboratory at short notice when there was a global shortage.
Saiccor Mill: Rob Griffith – For speedily responding to the short supply of masks worldwide by setting plans in motion to manufacture Sappi’s own cloth masks, produced by trainees at our Skills Centres.
January – June 2021
Living Sappi’s values despite a tough 2020 continued...
From left: Alfred Motala, André Holtzhausen, Naresh Naidoo, Marvin Hlabane, Jaco Kruger, Mandla Nhleko, Dumisani Mdhluli, Alex Thiel and Lance Faul.
23.
January – June 2021
Sappi Skills Centres:
Growing while learning and sharing
In the spirit of OneSappi, there is much to learn when we collaborate and share our knowledge and skills. Sappi Learning’s ‘Teach to Learn’ fosters this outlook.
All current engineering, technician, apprentice, intern and process trainees located near Saiccor and Ngodwana Mills are required to do 40 hours of ‘community service’ at our Sappi Skills Centres. The 40 hours are spent either by teaching learners a part of their course, or by doing maintenance or administrative work.
The positive feedback from the volunteer trainers and the learners speak volumes!
Teach to Learn volunteer trainers say...
“It’s a means to better others – and yourself”
Camilla Moosa (Technician-in-Training: Civil Engineering): “Seeing the information that I had passed on to the trainees being correctly applied is fulfilling. Bumping
into several of my former learners inside the mill has been an absolute pleasure. I’m so excited for them, as they finally get to
apply their newly acquired skills in real-life situations.
“Turning the unemployed into skilled workers”
Thandeka Mtswene(Consultant: HR Operations): “This opportunity meant that I could influence the change
that I wanted to see in others – improving the learners’
perceptions, skills and outlook on life. It was fulfilling to see the determination in their eyes and the hunger to know
more. I’m proud that they are now able to build successful careers in fields where there are skills shortages.”
“Helping others to help themselves”
Aqil Pillay- Electrical Apprentice (fourth year): “The training has had a major impact on the learners, because
many of them hadn’t used any hand or power tools before. My group landed some temporary employment within the mill, and I often see them working around the factory using
tools and skills I had taught them.
Want to be a Teach-to-Learn volunteer? Speak to your unit's Learning and Development team.
Feedback from trainees:
Eshnie Ramdhari
(Basic Handyman
Training: Plumbing)
“The training
allowed me to
practice important
skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and organising – all things that I can apply daily in life and work.”
Wandile Khanyezi (Basic Handyman Training: Home Maintenance) “Thank you to
the trainers who
dedicated their
time and passion to help us build a bright and solid future.
I have since been selected to join the Sappi New Venture Creation Learnership – a golden opportunity to learn how to run my own business.”
Minenhle Ndlovu (Basic Handyman Training: Electrical) “The training
was invaluable
– from learning
how to manage a business, to preparing us for the world of work. I’m currently in the Sappi PPE factory learnership. The skills I’ve acquired are helping me to perform with excellence.”
24.
Sappi on social media
January – June 2021
Responsible forestry for a thriving future
Our commitment to maintaining and re-establishing ecosystems is helping to restore the planet and create a thriving world.
Responsible forestry can play a key role in building a bio- based future, and it supports the United Nation’s call for #GenerationRestoration.
Read more
Bursary applications are open
Do you know of bright young talent who would benefit from joining the Sappi family? We invite talented, ambitious matriculants or current undergraduate students who want to pursue a career in our industry to apply.
Apply now
Sappi trails boost rural economies through tourism and recreation
On World Bicycle Day (03 June 2021) Sappi reminisced about this humble, yet inspirational mode of transport which helps to bring to life rural economies through tourism and recreational activities – some on Sappi land. Our Sappi trail programme has resulted in partnerships with several trail custodians.
Read more
More Covid-19 relief to KZN schools
We have extended a helping hand by providing more Covid-19 relief items to schools in KwaZulu- Natal. Sappi has partnered
with the KZN Department of Education in providing 3,000 boxes of Typek office paper,
as well as 3,000 litres of hand sanitiser and 5,000 masks to be distributed to rural schools.
Read more
We value biodiversity
Of Sappi’s 394,000 hectares of owned and leased land in South Africa, approximately one third
is managed for biodiversity conservation. There are seven nature reserves and 166 Important Conservation Areas on our land.
Discover more about how we entrench our commitment to safeguarding and restoring #biodiversity.
Read more
Exciting news for mountain bikers
The Karkloof Trails, which run through Sappi Forests in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands have again been selected as the Number 1 MTB trails route in South Africa in the Tread – Mountain Biking with Soul Top Trails 2020. Congratulations to the Karkloof Country Club and Nguni Trails for the excellent work done to maintain this prestigious ranking.
Read more
During the lockdown to date, we have supported 34 clinics in Mpumalanga by donating:
• 1,000 litre of hand sanitiser • 4,000 surgical masks
• 10,500 kg of special A+ porridge • 172 food parcels
• 150 blankets
25.
January – June 2021
A small gesture making a big impact
During our first Employee Appreciation Day held earlier this year, there were smiles all around as management engaged with staff and thanked them for continued commitment and service to Sappi.
It’s an important gesture
which demonstrates that true
leadership includes having compassion towards employees.” – Fumani Nkuna (Learning Operations Manager)
Steve Binnie (CEO, Sappi Limited) with Luyanda Ngoma (Planner: Capacity).
Nelson Sefara (General Manager, Technology Centre) thanking Daniel Matlakala (Temp Analyst I – Chemical and Environmental Sciences) during his walkabout at Sappi’s Innovation Hub offices in Pretoria.
Knowing that management appreciates our efforts, gives me the tenacity to come to work and give it my all. Our perseverance in these uncertain times do not go unnoticed.”
– Sonia Matshingana (Administrator, Engineering Stores)
There is something about appreciation that we often overlook, and this is that it boosts confidence. The gesture loudly announced that the efforts put into our day- to-day activities do not go unnoticed.”
Tweedie management thanking staff for their commitment. From left: Melanie Degenaar, Sanelisiwe Ntombela and Zamokuhle Zondi.
– Kearabilwe Chula (Quality Coordinator, Administration) 26.
January – June 2021
GMs say: “This is why we appreciate Sappi’s people”
Michelle Thain (General Manager, Sales
and Marketing): “So many words come to
mind... dynamic, creative, hardworking, loyal, go-getters. I could go on and on but ultimately,
our employees and contractors are all great to
work with, and no matter what the challenges are,
they do it with a smile. We have the best team in Sappi!”
Beverley Sukhdeo (General Manager, Saiccor Mill): “I have great gratitude for the attitude of the Saiccor team. It has been inspirational to witness their determination, willingness and commitment in improving all aspects of our operation, despite the many challenges. It’s only with the contributions of such a team that we are able to safely build a strong and sustainable business.”
Naresh Naidoo (General Manager, Ngodwana Mill): “I’m proud to be leading the Ngodwana team. Our employees are emotionally invested; they want to contribute, and despite what is happening
in the world, they are hungry for challenges and excellence. They consistently exceed my expectations. It's exciting to be part of the Ngodwana magic!”
Nelson Sefara (General Manager, Technology Centre):
“I’m privileged to work with a team of scientists, engineers and technologists who always go the extra mile to solve problems for our mills. I appreciate their selfless dedication to Sappi and for making the Technology Centre one of the best places to work at.”
Philani Gumede (General Manager, Stanger Mill): “I’m so impressed! Our employees continue to work towards our safety slogan, ‘I value life’, even whilst enduring these tough Covid-19 times. Their positive attitude and commitment are ensuring that we thrive towards our 2021 objectives.”
Christo Willemse (General Manager, Tugela Mill): “A big thank you to the team. Despite the challenges, everyone still displayed the Tugela Mill values of Belief, Brilliance and Obsession, and they are fully focused on delivering on our next set of goals. This shows that together, we are great!”
Mervyn Nair (General Manager, Finance): “What makes GBS
so special is the fact that our employees represent so many different departments, but we are one team. We are all diverse, bringing individual personalities to the team as OneSappi. Our employees have shown commitment and resilience often in the face of very difficult circumstances and situations.”
Raheel Essack and Malinee Dayanand with their bouquets of flowers – the ‘thank you’ gift from Forestry management, represented here by Fred Rossouw and Dave Everard.
Naresh Naidoo (General Manager, Ngodwana Mill) handing out a ‘thank you’ card and chocolate to an employee.
Management sharing their appreciation with the SHEQ department.
This was a lovely gesture from our
managers... making time to share their appreciation with us.
– Philisiwe Makhathini (SHEQ Trainer)
27.
This is how we’re building a thriving,
sustainable business and world
Sustainability has always been important to us, but under our Thrive25 strategy it is now central to how we do business.
Sappi Southern Africa’s 2020 Corporate Citizenship Report highlights our actions aligned with the nine priority United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) in creating a thriving organisation, country and world.
Read through this beautifully crafted 2020 Corporate Citizenship Report (click on the link or find it on the Sappi website) to see what the SSA region is doing to address issues ranging from poverty to quality education, clean water and sanitsation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, responsible consumption and production, climate change, restoring ecosystems (life on land) and building partnership.