SAFCOL seeks a service provider to supply, deliver, install and commission an optimising board edger at its Timbadola Sawmill in Limpopo, including training, spares and aftersales support. Bidders must meet a 70-point functionality threshold and attend a compulsory briefing.
The South African Forestry Company SOC Limited (SAFCOL) invites bids for the appointment of a service provider to supply, deliver, install, and commission an optimising board edger at the Timbadola Sawmill, located on farm Lisbon 12 LT in the Entabeni plantation, Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province. The replacement equipment is intended to improve volume and value recovery, increase throughput by improving plant availability and reliability, add value to finished products, and improve employee health and safety. The machine must handle SA pine boards (50 to 450 mm wide, 19 to 50 mm thick, 0.9 to 6.6 m long) and meet defined performance requirements, including a minimum feed speed of 180 m/min with variable speed drive, a peak input of at least 25 boards per minute, and a minimum of three movable saws. Key technical requirements include an S-shaped unscrambler and infeed conveyor, outfeed conveying system, cross-feed laser scanning with 3D board imagery, optimisation software for sawing recipes, a SCADA-based control system with HMI, internet connectivity for off-site diagnostics, and comprehensive safety features such as limit switches, access-controlled build cages, and anti-kickback devices.
The scope of work extends beyond machine supply. The service provider is responsible for steel and support structures, electrical wiring and MCC panels, civil works for foundations, removal and safe disconnection of the existing equipment, and full commissioning, including cold and live testing, programming of at least three cutting recipes with mill management, and ramp-up to full capacity. Training must be provided to mill operators and supervisors (minimum 5 days) and engineering artisans (minimum 2 days), with equipment manuals and schematics supplied. Logistics include freight, customs clearance, and transport to site, on a DDP (Incoterms 2020) basis. Aftersales requirements include spare parts documentation, technical support within 8 hours of a logged call, on-site support within 48 hours where faults cannot be resolved online, a minimum 12-month warranty for single-shift operation (6 months for two shifts), and a once-off supply of critical spares. The contract will follow the NEC4 Supply Contract (SC) framework, with firm pricing in ZAR and no escalation for forex fluctuations.
Evaluation is conducted in three phases: administrative compliance, mandatory requirements, and functionality, followed by price and specific goals. Bidders must attend a compulsory virtual briefing session on 12 November 2026 (11:00 to 12:30) and must be registered on the Central Supplier Database. Functionality is scored out of 100 and requires a minimum of 70 points, based on experience supplying optimising board edgers or comparable wetmill and secondary breakdown equipment valued at R10 million or more per unit (supported by signed referral letters), a South African footprint (as a local agent or manufacturer), core equipment compliance, warranty terms, a commissioning and project schedule (including a Gantt chart), and an aftersales support plan. Qualifying bids are then assessed on an 80/20 price and preference system. Bids must be submitted on the official SBD forms by the closing date of 10 December 2026 at 12:00, hand-delivered or couriered to the SAFCOL Nelspruit office. Clarification questions close on 27 November 2026 at 12:00, and bids remain valid for 90 days.
This tender suits established suppliers and authorised local agents of sawmill or wood-processing machinery, particularly optimising board edgers or comparable wetmill and secondary breakdown equipment, with at least R10 million per unit in relevant supply references and a South African presence. Engineering and installation firms with experience in industrial machinery commissioning, controls and SCADA integration, and heavy civil or structural works may apply, individually or as a joint venture, consortium, or with subcontractors under signed agreements. Businesses must be able to attend the compulsory briefing, meet the 70-point functionality threshold, provide an NEC4-compliant commissioning schedule and aftersales plan, and hold valid tax compliance status, CSD registration, and B-BBEE documentation. Businesses without industrial equipment supply experience, or those unable to provide local technical support and spares, are unlikely to qualify.
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