#WomenInForestry – meet Bathobile Ntshingila
Sappi Forests
Management Forester
Qualifications:
Forestry career: 7 years
As a Management Forester based at Lothair in Mpumalanga, my role entails providing forestry expertise (silviculture, harvesting and timber logistics) to new land beneficiaries who acquired land through land reform. Sappi Southern Africa has a Department within its business to assisting new land beneficiaries or claimants in tree farming through a project called Sappi Khulisa. It is now a successful job creation and entrepreneurship development model aligned with the South African Government’s strategy of promoting forestry as a means of creating sustainable livelihoods in rural areas. Sappi Khulisa forms the foundation of our corporate social responsibility and enterprise development focus.
WHY I LOVE WORKING IN THE FORESTRY SECTOR
I am an outdoor person, and forestry offers just that. It is a dynamic environment where one is exposed to different challenges daily. Current challenges have propelled the forest industry to respond with the Industrial Revolution strategies to solve problems. I feel privileged to be part of the team that is experiencing the modernisation currently taking place in the industry such as Digitised Fire Detection Systems; Mechanised silviculture and harvesting.
MY ADVICE TO THOSE EXPLORING A CAREER IN FORESTRY
Forestry is evolving, and a lot has change. All the female Foresters who went before us has laid a good foundation that, women foresters can survive and add value to the industry, the batten is left to the coming generation. Forestry is a great career, it only needs one to be passionate and dedicated.
