Our story
Four generations on the land
Ben Seele’s great-grandparents began farming in the New Hanover district of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in the late 1800s, and each generation since has carried the family farming tradition forward.
In 1979 Carl Seele bought a dairy and beef farm in the hills above Baynesfield and turned it into a timber farm. That is where Ben grew up – and where he still lives today with his own young family.
Milestones
How Trewirgie came together
Late 1800s
The Seele family starts farming in the New Hanover district.
1979
Carl Seele buys a farm above Baynesfield and converts it to timber.
2001
Ben returns from studies and forestry work abroad and starts milling logs from the family plantations.
2013
Farms in Richmond, Baynesfield and Dargle are consolidated under the Trewirgie Timber banner.
Our people
Growing skills from within
Ben studied a B.Comm at Stellenbosch University and a postgraduate diploma in wood science, and worked as a chainsaw operator and harvester in Norway and the UK before coming home to farm.
Today a small management team runs the operation, with around 230 people working in harvesting, silviculture, transport, security, cattle and avocados. We look for people with potential and train them up – most of our skilled staff started as general workers, and staff turnover is low.
Recognition
NCT Top Commercial Tree Farmer, 2020
NCT Forestry named Ben Seele its Top Commercial Tree Farmer for 2020, an annual award recognising members for sound, sustainable management of their tree farms.