ilovani purchases wood from the Forestry Department. Indigenous Wood Auctions are held in the forests two to three times per year. All trees are scientifically tested to ascertain their condition and ONLY if a tree is in a state of degeneration or is dead, is it removed from the forest. Once a tree is removed, it is the Departmental policy to replant three to four trees in its place.

The Forestry Department has an extremely rigid selective forest management program. The forests from the Tsitsikamma to the Outeniqua’s are divided into grids of one hectare each, and each hectare is assessed in a ten year rotation. No tree is ever felled indiscriminately.

No heavy machinery or equipment is ever used in the heart of the forests. Rather, mules and Percheron horses are trained to use the sled paths that wind through the forests, and drag out the felled timber to the forest edge. This ensures minimum impact on the environment.

South Africa can pride itself on having one of the best Forest Management programs in the world. All our logs are numbered by the Forestry department. We keep track of all our logs – and can therefore issue a certificate of authenticity for most items sold. This serves as proof that our wood is part of the Green Protective and Maintenance program and that we are not part of DEFORESTATION.