4 Khethezakhe obtained his matric at Nokhalela High School in the Ngudwini area, where he was born. He completed his schooling in 1990 and then moved to Durban to seek employment. There, he secured a temporary job at a supermarket. In 1993, Khethezakhe began teaching at Ngudwini Primary School while enrolled at Unisa to pursue a formal teaching qualification. However, he never completed his qualification due to financial and time constraints. At the time he dropped out, he was juggling studying, teaching, and part-time forestry work. He ultimately decided to leave both teaching and studying to commit fully to the timber industry, a field he was passionate about and one in which he could work for himself. His journey in farming began in 1993, when he started planting sugar cane in the Eshowe area with assistance from the sugar industry, a programme facilitated by his brother, who worked in the sugar industry. The land he farmed was inherited from his father and located near their home. During this time, he also informally assisted with harvesting timber plots for small growers in his area. In 1998, he transitioned from sugar cane to timber, planting approximately 9.59ha of gum trees. In the same year, Khethezakhe founded a transport company specialising in transporting timber for local growers. He started with three long-haul trucks and became a full member of NCT in 2000, establishing himself as a recognised transporter. Timber farming brought him significant achievements: he married in 2000, had two children, bought five vehicles and three trucks, and purchased a large Congratulations to Khethezakhe N. Zulu and André de Waal for being named NCT’s 2024 Tree Farmer of the Year winners in the Small Grower and Commercial Grower categories, respectively. Our deserving winners each received a chainsaw, generously sponsored by PMB Power Products and Stihl Pietermaritzburg. This prestigious award, first presented in 2001, recognises farmers who have significantly cultivated and improved their operations. Khethezakhe N Zulu and André de Waal have been honored with the prestigious Tree Farmer of the Year awards in the Small Grower and Commercial Grower categories, respectively. This award recognises their exceptional silvicultural practices, environmental management, and operational enhancements. Small-scale Tree Farmer of the Year 2024 – Khethezakhe N Zulu Khethezakhe N Zulu receives a Stihl chainsaw from
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