The increasing demands now being placed on Africa's natural and planted forests mean that they cannot sustainably supply the wood products the continent needs. Serious shortages of wood are forecast in many countries for the near future and this has serious socio-economic implications as well as contributing negatively to global climate change. Whilst tree plantations have long been seen as a way to combat such impacts by producing wood products in a cost-effective way, the current level of tree planting in Africa is well below the level required to meet the predicted demand from the populace and industry.
Of the estimated 3.8 million hectares of commercial plantations in Africa, the most successful ventures have generally been where the private sector has been encouraged and supported to invest in commercial-scale tree planting and these point the way to the future expansion of plantations in Africa.