Introduction to sustainable Beekeeping in South Africa

Africa currently produces approximately 150,000 tonnes of honey annually. Most of the honey is harvested by traditional methods and is not fit to be marketed commercially. The biggest producing countries in Africa are Ethiopia (45,000 Tonnes) and Tanzania (8,000 tonnes), of which less than 10% is exported. (In contrast Turkey produces 114,000 tonnes on its own)

With the introduction of modern professional beekeeping practices and the necessary support Africa has the potential to become a major producer of honey and bee by-products. With its abundant natural resources, the opportunity is virtually limitless, however it requires a concerted effort and long-term commitment from all the stake holders to improve the industry as a whole.

This document addresses the current challenges and opportunities for beekeeping in Africa, with an outline proposal of how the commercial farmer or honey producer can dramatically improve their efficiencies in production which can irrevocably benefit the local communities with their direct involvement.

Traditional Beekeeping in South Africa

Traditionally honey has been harvested by hunter-gatherers for millennia and is still the predominant method applied today and mainly done by men. The use of bark and log hives are also popular as they are cheap and easy to make from readily available nectar producing trees.

The use of bark and log hives are extremely inefficient and have an adverse effect on the local environment –

  • A sharp increase in the loss of trees due to bark hive construction and charcoal manufacturing, has contributed to 14% deforestation in Africa.
  • Reduction of the number of trees, and as a result the available flowers in the apiary surrounds on which the bees forage
  • This has a huge impact on the amount of honey that can be produced.
  • These types of hives do not lend themselves to beekeeping management practises and are therefore not sustainable.
  • Honey produced is generally of poor quality due to destruction of the cones, over- smoking and eventual absconding by the bees.
  • The productivity of these hives is also very low with an average of 0-10 kg of honey per year during a strong honey flow season.

The adoption of modern beehives has led to a shift from harvesting honey from feral colonies in natural nesting places to capturing bee colonies in manufactured hives.

In Kenya the introduction of “Kenya Top Bar Hives” (KTB) has improved productivity and another major benefit has been the participation of women in beekeeping – it is estimated that 85% of female beekeepers in Africa use KTB hives.

By using modern beekeeping methods and highly productive Langstroth beehives, honey production will increase even further, which will improve the livelihood of the community due to additional income and can lead to a reduction of deforestation (charcoal production & log / bark hives)

Log Hive

Beekeeping constraints in South Africa

Despite the conducive environment for beekeeping in Africa, the sector faces several constraints which restrict it from reaching its full potential to contribute significantly to poverty alleviation and increase in honey production.

The main constraints include:

  • General lack of collaboration between stakeholders in the sector, notably the service providers and beekeeping support is fragmented sometimes even duplicated, and predominantly focused on training new farmers in basic beekeeping skills.
  • Very little beekeeping or no beekeeping management practices are in place to prevent colonies to abscond and to improve productivity.
  • Reliance on the use of traditional equipment and tools in harvesting, extraction, processing, and the packaging of hive products.
  • No implementation of proper feeding programs for the bees during the dry season to prevent colonies from absconding and to secure a high hive occupancy rate.
  • Poor extension service and lack of appropriate beekeeping knowledge.
  • Little knowledge of honey processing to produce honey of a high quality for a niche market.
  • Beekeepers are often more remote, less literate, have little experience with traders and businesses, and not willing to take any financial risks compared to than other farmers.
  • Beekeeping as a sector is overlooked, neglected, and attracts little serious investment and support.
  • Infrastructure, roads and transport facilities in most beekeeping areas are extremely poor, which increases transaction cost.
  • Producers lack market information and entrepreneurial skills and therefore are not able to locate input and credit providers, find buyers and negotiate fair prices.
  • Lack of modern beekeeping equipment, training and the implementation of professional beekeeping mentorship programs.“Changes to the use of old beekeeping equipment and farming techniques, in Africa’s richest honey producing areas, will secure a sustainable honey trading business to form a strong investment platform.” (Bees for Development -2016 – The Africa Honey Trade: Unlocking the potential)

The potential for honey production and the direct benefits of an improved industry are immense, however the issues need to be addressed on a micro scale initially, and we believe we can contribute to the process through the implementation of our “Ubusi Africa Beekeeping Programme”.

Transforming Beekeeping through a Commercial Approach

“Commercial beekeeping is the modern art and science of managing honeybees for the purpose of tapping their commercial potential” – also known as “Apiculture”.

Whilst it has been defined in various ways, all definitions point to the art of managing honeybees sustainably for the purpose of tapping into the benefits of its resources.

Beekeeping is more than just collecting and retaining bees in a hive on an apiary site or putting a hive in an apiary and waiting to benefit from the bee colony. It involves effectively and sustainably managing the bee colony. This requires modern equipment and tools, applying appropriate beekeeping knowledge and skills, and accessing potential and profitable markets.

The process includes pest and predator control, apiary management, colony manipulation, bee foraging, record keeping, production and product management within a well-defined process.

A core component is the use of modern removeable frame commercial hives, the most efficient being “Langstroth Beehives” which improve productivity and honey quality further.

Professional training and mentorship programmes ensure that the efficiencies are achieved with significant benefit through the full value chain.