Good wood makes a good fire: it lights easily, burns hot and leaves coals for the braai or a steady glow in the fireplace. Looking for firewood for sale? It is sold by the bag, the bakkie load or the cubic metre, and the price only means something once you know how much wood you get, how dry it is and whether it is split and delivered. Tell us what you need and suppliers near you can quote. Send one free, no-obligation request.
Dry wood versus wet wood
Freshly cut wood is full of water. It is hard to light, smokes, spits and gives little heat, because the fire spends its energy drying the wood. Seasoned wood has been split and stacked to dry, often for many months. Signs of dry wood:
- Cracks in the ends of the logs.
- Lighter weight than a fresh log of the same size.
- A hollow knock when two pieces are hit together.
- Loose bark and grey, weathered ends.
Ask the supplier how long the wood has been drying.
Types of wood for braai and fireplace
Dense hardwoods burn longest and give good coals for a braai. Some common SA braai woods are cut from alien species, such as rooikrans, bluegum and black wattle, often from clearing work. Softer woods such as pine light fast and suit kindling, but burn quickly and can leave more soot in a chimney. Ask what species you are buying and where it comes from. Many suppliers also sell kindling and mixed loads.
How firewood is sold
Firewood is sold by the bag, the bakkie load, the cubic metre or the tonne, and these are hard to compare. A loose cube of 1 m³ thrown in a heap holds less wood than 1 m³ neatly stacked. A bakkie load depends on the bakkie and how high it is packed. Ask which measure the price is for, whether the wood is split, how long the pieces are, and whether delivery and stacking are included.
Storing and using your wood
Stack wood off the ground on pallets or bricks, under a roof but open at the sides so air moves through. Keep it away from house walls to avoid termites and fire risk. Bring in only a day or two of wood at a time. If you have a tree coming down, ask the team in your tree felling or alien tree removal quote to cut the trunk into rounds you can split and dry.
What to include in your request
- How much: bags, bakkie loads or m³
- What it is for: braai, fireplace or both
- Whether you want it split and how long
- Delivery address and access for a bakkie
- Whether stacking is needed
Firewood for Sale for different clients
- Homeowners: braai wood and fireplace logs delivered and stacked before the winter cold
- Estates, complexes and body corporates: firewood for clubhouse fireplaces and communal braai areas in estates
- Farms, smallholdings and plantations: selling wood from cleared gums and wattle, or buying split wood for the house
- Businesses and commercial property: regular braai wood for restaurants, lodges, guest houses and caterers
- Schools, churches and municipalities: wood for school, church and community fundraisers and braai days
- Developers and building sites: selling logs from trees cleared on a stand instead of paying to remove them
- Servitudes and fire breaks: wood from servitude clearing sold or collected by local firewood suppliers
- Tree fellers, landscapers and garden services: tree fellers selling split wood from felling jobs to local buyers
Frequently asked questions
How much does firewood cost in South Africa?
What is the best wood for a braai?
How can I tell if firewood is dry?
Do you sell the firewood?
Firewood for Sale by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg