In 1920, Premier Paper Mills Ltd. established the first paper mill in South Africa. This was located at Klip River, a few miles from the city of Johannesburg. More companies slowly entered the market in the following decades. And, during World War 2, due to low international imports, the country’s three established mills made a substantial contribution to the South African economy and had near-continuous expansion in the following two decades.

In the 1960s, an era of expansive communications development, the demand for paper grew. Great strides were also being made in packaging design, with the innovation of new paper-based materials. The paper industry in South Africa also experienced a few setbacks in the early 1960s, due to a shortage of skilled labour and limited local water supplies. Alongside this, there were high transportation costs, relying on rail networks to move the paper cross-country. Despite these hurdles, successful expansion occurred throughout the decade with South Africa-based multinational mining company Anglo American founding the Mondi Group in 1967.

A massive infrastructure program initiated by the government channeled significant investment into heavy industry, with Mondi Valley being one beneficiary and kickstarting further growth.