Sawmill General Worker

You'll plant, prune and fell trees for a forestry contractor in the hills near Mthatha. You don't need to be the loudest person in the room, just the one others can count on.

This post is Mthatha-based, with most of your time spent at a forestry contractor. Hours are mostly Monday to Friday, with the odd Saturday in busy months.

• Apply herbicide around young trees as instructed
• Fell, debranch and cross-cut trees with a chainsaw
• Clear and maintain firebreaks during the dry season
• Feed logs into sawmill machines and stack planks
• Wear chainsaw chaps, helmets and ear protection at all times
• Plant seedlings in prepared pits at the right spacing
• Prune lower branches with pruning saws and ladders

• Passes the medical check for fire crews
• Willing to work in remote areas
• Available for early starts and fire-season standby
• Physically strong and fit for steep slopes

• Fire fighting training
• Chainsaw operator certificate
• First-aid training

• Fire-season standby allowance
• Chainsaw and fire training at no cost
• Full safety gear provided
• Crew transport to plantations

• Mention fire fighting experience, even as a volunteer. Fire protection crews look for it before winter.
• Say you are fit and do not mind remote sites. Many applicants drop out after the first week, so recruiters test commitment.