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Pine school desks manufactured by Sinikiwe Ithuba - the finished product from SAFCOL-supplied Timbadola lumber
Flagship Story

Sinikiwe Ithuba Primary Cooperative

From furniture manufacturing learnership to becoming a SAFCOL supplier - the Sinikiwe Ithuba story.

The cooperative's story

From learnership to supplier

Pine school desks manufactured by Sinikiwe Ithuba - finished product from the SAFCOL-supplied timber

Sinikiwe Ithuba Primary Cooperative is a shining example of transformation within the forestry value chain. Its name - meaning "we have been given an opportunity" - reflects the path members have taken from a furniture manufacturing learnership to becoming a supplier.

Initially capacitated through SAFCOL's Learning and Development Division in furniture manufacturing, the cooperative progressed into the Enterprise Development programme and transitioned into a supplier by manufacturing school desks for a previously disadvantaged school - Ithole Primary School in Amsterdam, Mpumalanga.

This milestone marked their graduation into Supplier Development, affirming their ability to deliver quality furniture products within SAFCOL's supply chain. Central to this specific achievement was a once-off donation of high-quality lumber from SAFCOL's Timbadola Sawmill for the initial school-desk manufacturing project. Coupled with technical mentorship from the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEDFA), the cooperative successfully delivered a hundred school desks that directly improved the learning environment for local children.

Furniture Manufacturing Programme

The wider programme behind the story

Furniture Manufacturing Programme

The wider furniture manufacturing initiative supported by SAFCOL started with the manufacturing of 1 000 school desks at Timbadola Sawmill, donated to schools in need within our footprint area. A service provider was appointed to provide on-the-job training, coaching and mentoring to 20 skilled youth throughout the production of the 1 000 desks, benches and bookshelves - including the construction of jigs and templates and the safe operation of hand tools, power tools and machinery.