Explore the business opportunities in forestry and wood industry in Tanzania and South Africa

Finnpartnership invites Finnish companies to learn about the business opportunities in the forest sector in Tanzania and South Africa and to participate in Africa’s largest forest sector trade exhibition, WoodEX, on 3-11 June 2026.

Finnpartnership organises Doing Business with Finland seminars in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 5 June and in Pretoria, South Africa, on 10 June. At the seminars, Finnish companies get to meet local operators and present their offering. In addition, a field trip to Tanzania’s most significant forest area will be organised for the companies during the trip. The visit will culminate in the WoodEX trade exhibition, which brings together forestry and wood industry operators from South Africa and internationally in Johannesburg.

Programme

• 3-4 June: field visit to the Iringa region in Tanzania
• 5 June: Doing Business with Finland seminar, Finnish Forest Day event, and ambassador’s reception in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
• 9-11 June: WoodEX trade fair in Johannesburg, South Africa
• 10 June: Doing Business with Finland seminar in Pretoria, South Africa
• During the weekend of the trip (6-7 June), participants have the opportunity to stay in Tanzania or continue their journey to South Africa at their convenience.

Why participate?

During the trip, Finnish companies gain first-hand information about the forest sectors in Tanzania and South Africa, their resource potential, and concrete business opportunities throughout the value chain: from forest management to the sawmill industry and from wood processing to end and by-products, and wood construction. At the events, Finnish companies have the opportunity to discuss with local forest owners, forestry and wood industry companies, relevant authorities, and sawmills and processing plants specialising in wood processing, among others.

Tanzania is currently one of Africa’s most attractive destinations for forest investment. The country has extensive and sustainable forest resources, with more than 55% of its land area covered by forest (approximately 48.1 million hectares). In addition, Tanzania still has large areas available for forest plantations and significant investment opportunities in the forest value chain.

The South African forestry and wood industry offer interesting opportunities, particularly in relation to higher value-added solutions, technology, and sustainable forestry. The country has Africa’s most developed commercial forest industry and an extensive processing value chain. However, the sector needs more efficient production processes, environmentally friendly solutions, and high-quality wood products. South Africa is Africa’s largest and the world’s 11th largest exporter of pulp, and the sector is a priority for government investment and public-private partnerships.

Registration

Register via the link below and join us to find out what opportunities the forestry and wood industry in Tanzania and South Africa can offer your company! Please note that this visit is organised for Finnish companies and organisations.

The itinerary will be finalised during the spring. Each participant is responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.

Finnpartnership is organising the visit in cooperation with the Finnish embassies in Tanzania and South Africa and UNDP Tanzania. In addition, the Finnish-funded FORLAND project is supporting the event in Tanzania.

For more information, please contact:

Ville Jokinen

Programme Officer

Business Partnership Support

ville.jokinen@finnpartnership.fi +358 (0)40 538 0540

Mona af Forselles

Programme Officer

Business Partnership Support

mona.afforselles@finnpartnership.fi +358 (0)50 32 60 755

Embassy of Finland, Dar es Salaam: Sanna-Liisa Taivalmaa, Senior Adviser, Development Policy
Counsellor, forestry, innovation systems, Sanna-Liisa.Taivalmaa@gov.fi

Embassy of Finland, Pretoria: Masego Polo, Team Finland coordinator, Masego.Polo@gov.fi