Outlook: 15th Wood Conference
On 24 February 2026, we will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Wood Conference in Cape Town. What began in 2010 as a little-known platform for sustainable construction has now become a fixed date in the calendar for anyone interested in sustainable building materials.
In the early days of the Wood Conference, hardly anyone would have thought that it would achieve such significance and size 15 years later. The originally modest number of participants has now increased tenfold – a clear sign of the steadily growing interest in the conference.
The conference was launched after George Kuratle recognised the opportunities and potential of timber construction in South Africa. The aim was to bring together industry experts, promote the exchange of knowledge and further develop the South African timber construction industry. At the same time, the aim was to raise awareness of timber as the most sustainable building material. Today, the Wood Conference is one of the leading events in the field of sustainable construction in South Africa.
The promise made by George Kuratle 15 years ago at the first conference – that the Wood Conference would not be a one-off event, but a long-term investment in knowledge exchange, dialogue and innovation in South Africa – has been consistently upheld over the years. The platform has been continuously developed and is now supported by the third generation of Kuratles in the same spirit.
Over the years, the conference has become a central meeting place for architects, engineers, developers and investors who share a common vision of sustainable construction. In February 2025, 700 people attended the Wood Conference – 400 on site and 300 online – from both South Africa and abroad. Another key factor in its success is the ongoing support of participants, partners, sponsors and long-standing local team members Zaida Davids and Hannu Garny.
Parallel to the growth of the conference, the potential for local sales of wood and wood-based materials has also increased significantly. Partnerships with local producers and traders have been further strengthened to further increase the impact on timber construction and sustainable building in South Africa.
After fifteen years of positive feedback, the success story of the Wood Conference will continue in February 2026. It will focus on the success story of the Wood Conference and the impressive developent of timber construction – both in South Africa and worldwide. The programme will highlight the most important milestones and achievements from 15 years of conference history and will be enriched by renowned guest speakers and presenters from South Africa and around the world.
On Tuesday, 24 February 2026, the 15th Wood Conference South Africa invites you to the renowned International Convention Centre in Cape Town. An opportunity not to be missed! Thanks to the innovative hybrid format, you can attend the event either on-site or virtually. Be inspired first-hand and discover the impressive possibilities that wood, a renewable building material, offers worldwide.
This year's theme, ‘Celebrating Timber, Innovation and Expertise – connecting South Africa and the World’, underlines the extraordinary potential of global cooperation to promote and further develop wood as a sustainable material worldwide. High-profile speakers from South Africa, Europe and Switzerland will present visionary projects that impressively demonstrate how timber is revolutionising architecture and construction in a sustainable way – and how building with timber has evolved over the past 15 years.