Bee Farming in South Africa: How to Start, Beekeeping Cost, and Profit

Beekeeping farming is a profitable business in South Africa. The most important thing that new beekeepers will need when starting Bee farming in South Africa is knowledge. You will need to understand the specific techniques for managing bees, the structure of the hive, the function of the bee, its body and how it feeds, its favorite foods, predators, and diseases. Managing bees in South Africa is difficult and complex, but there are various market opportunities for Beekeeping.

Importance of Bee farming in South Africa

In South Africa, honey is a sweet juice produced by bees and used for human consumption. South Africa produces about 2000 tons of honey every year. However, the demand for honey in South Africa is about 3000 tons per year. South Africa imports honey from other countries to meet local demand. It clearly shows an opportunity for more beekeepers in the beekeeping business in South Africa. The bee farming business in South Africa is also very profitable due to high market prices and high demand for honey.

If you want to start Beekeeping in South Africa, new beekeepers will need space to keep a swarm (or bee colony), a hive, and a place to put the hive close enough to bee food sources. (A good source of fodder and water will produce the best honey). You will also need protective clothing and some tools to work with the hive and colony. The South African Bee Industry Organization (SABIO) distinguishes between hobby beekeepers (with one to 100 bees) and commercial beekeepers who manage 800 to 10,000 bees.

Smallholders or developing beekeepers may have 10 to 150 beehives. They are often placed in cooperative bodies or as community development projects and are managed. South Africa is home to two subspecies or breeds of bees native to the country: Apis mellifera scutellata (or “African honey bee”) and Apis mellifera capensis (or “cape honey bee”). The African honey bee belongs to Central and Southern Africa.

Commercial beekeepers on their own are unable to provide all the necessary funding and infrastructure to support and sustain the bee population in South Africa. The importance of bees to agriculture and conservation in South Africa far outweighs the value derived from beekeepers. Therefore, commercial beekeepers cannot provide all the necessary funding and infrastructure to support and sustain the bee population in South Africa.

In case you missed it: Honey Bee Farming Project Report, Cost, Profits

The cooperation of all those who get a price from bees, including the government, will also be required. Beekeepers manage south African bees to harvest honey and provide crop pollen. Organized bees are essential for food production in South Africa. Some policies can help secure fodder for bees and support South Africa’s beekeeping industry.

Bee farming in South Africa

Things needed for Beekeeping

You need to know about Beekeeping and Beekeeping. The first basic understanding is how the structure of the bee colony (called ‘colony’) is formed. You also need to know about the bee physiology, bee diseases, the functions of different bees in the hive, and the bee’s nature.
The second thing a bee farmer needs is a site for the first hive. It could be a garden, trees (like eucalyptus), or a field of flowering plants (like onions).
Third, the new beekeeper will need a beehive and a bee colony. A good hive will be easier to handle, keep the bees safe, and provide space to build their hive and raise their young.
Finally, it is essential to have proper clothing (limit bee stings) and some essential beekeeping tools.

Where to keep bees?

If you live in a town, ask the municipality if it is allowed to keep bees in the suburbs. Keep the hive at least 50 meters away from animals and people. Keep hives away from chickens and horses in rural areas; bees do not like the smell of these animals. The place where bees are kept is an apiary, and it needs accessible shelter, dry and sunny, but with no risk of frostbite. Also, it needs to be able to provide food and water for bees that are no more than 3-5 km from the hive.

Although there may be enough food for a few colonies (swarms) in some areas, it may not be able to accompany it all season. Therefore, it may be necessary to move the colonies to suitable crops when they are in flower. It can be a valuable pollination service for beekeepers with an additional honey bonus for farmers. Before installing a hive, always seek permission from the property owner. The South African Bee Industry Organization (SABIO) represents beekeepers in South Africa and advises all beekeepers to register their hives.

Beehives and equipment

Beehives are essential when conducting beekeeping business in South Africa. Beehives are home to bees, where bees live and produce honey. Many bees are available, including Langstroth hive, Frame hive, Fixed comb hive, Kenya top bar hive, and Top bar hive. Good beehive features include the right size, locally available, dry, affordable, and protected from pests and predators.

The beehive type is important as it affects the amount of honey you can expect to be harvested. Thus, the type and size of the honeycomb affect the expected honey production. Other tools needed for the bee farming business include bee brushes, smokers, feeders, and hive tools. Protective clothing is also essential.

In case you missed it: Honey Bee Farming Information Guide

Honey processing equipment is required depending on the bee farming operation size. These include honey extractors, storage containers, and wax melter. The beekeeping business plan should cover the cost of procuring beehives and equipment.

SABIO (South African Bee Industry Organization)

The main mission of SABIO is to represent the bee industry in South Africa and then promote this and all its aspects of establishing, supporting, and developing a sustainable and prosperous bee industry in the country. SABIO has so far been relatively unsuccessful in complying with the Agricultural Pests Act to register beekeepers. Beekeepers’ financial support for SABIO through existing voluntary membership fees and voluntary revenues (based on producer and hive number) has also been poor so far.

It has made it very difficult for SABIO to operate effectively as a South African beekeeping industry-government agency. SABIO will only be effective if it has all the role players as members. The industry’s role is likely to decline as the needs of large commercial operations cannot be considered relevant to the hobby.

However, all beekeepers must cooperate through the same body represented by SABIO, as the basic requirements for disease control, food safety, and research apply to all serious beekeepers. There are whatever their production capacity. The main beekeeping associations, namely:

Eastern Highveld
Eastern Province
Free State
KwaZulu-Natal
Mpumalanga
Northern Cape
Northern Transvaal
Southern Cape
Southern’s
Western Cape

Honey bee colonies for starting bee farming in SA

To start a honey bee business in South Africa, you need bee colonies. These are the bees that will produce honey. Bees live in colonies, and each colony may have 80,000 bees. There are three different types of bees in the bee colony: Queen Bee, Worker Bee, and Drone Bee. The queen bee’s main purpose is to mate and lay eggs.

She mates with the drone bees and produces eggs. It leads to an increase in the number of bees in the reproductive colony. The other type of bee found in the colony is the drone. The number of drone bees in the colony is usually in the hundreds, and the last type of bee in the colony is the worker bee. Worker bees are imperfect substances that cannot mate and reproduce. They are responsible for collecting nectar and pollen they use to make honey.

Other duties of worker bees include: feeding other bees, raising the queen, cleaning the hive, removing dead bees, producing wax, and defending the hive. Though the worker bees make up the majority of bees in the colony, their numbers can be as high as 80,000. Your bee business plan should include the cost of acquiring bee colonies.

In case you missed it: Sugar Beet Cultivation Technology; Farming Methods

Beekeeping bylaws in South Africa

Requirements for keeping bees

1. No one may keep bees anywhere unless – the person holding a permit that allows this activity and every hive of bees is located

at least five meters from any boundary of the premises; and
at least twenty meters from any public place or building used for human habitation or any place used for keeping animals, chickens, and birds;

The bees are housed in an approved hive of bees. and beehives –

Kept in an inaccessible area for children and animals;
Located in the shade at all times; and
Within five meters of the hive, a source of drinking water is provided.

No one may put or collect any garbage, manure, grass cuttings, or manure within five meters of the beehive. Beekeepers need to be registered with SABIO, the organization of the beekeeping industry in South Africa.

If you want to start Beekeeping in the Johannesburg metropolitan area, you need to be familiar with the bylaws of the metro. These are bee laws designed to keep people safe and provide guidelines for all beekeeping sites. However, beekeeping regulations are not well enforced if the public has an accident or injury and you do not have a beekeeper’s license as a beekeeper. If you have followed the rules of Beekeeping, you will face regulatory punishments.

How profitable is the bee farming business in South Africa?

Healthy bees in an area with abundant nectar sources can earn a profit of $ 300- $ 500 per hive each year. But it assumes that you are selling your honey in a market willing to pay the price of premium raw honey. Even small-scale beekeepers in the backyard can profit from honey produced from a few hives.

Opportunities for beekeepers in South Africa

Pollination services have the greatest potential in the beekeeping industry in South Africa. In SA, the cost of pollination services for the fruit, vegetable, seed, and oil crops, and the nut industry, far exceeds the income from honey production and bee products in South Africa. The growth of the macadamia nut and blueberry industry has great potential for beekeepers who can provide pollination services for these edible crops.

Macadamia nuts are planted in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. The honey market needs to grow and can be expanded by producing honey with medicinal properties.

In case you missed it: How to Start Beekeeping in Australia: For Beginners, Courses, Rules, and Regulations

Honey Bee Farming Equipment — Image Source

Cost to start a bee farm in South Africa

Short beekeeping courses can cost approximately R950 and R2,950. According to Bee equipment South Africa, you need about R3,340 to start a beekeeping business. It includes clothes, tools, and a beehive.

Space needed for beehive

These backyards come in many shapes and sizes. Some are several acres, and others are a few hundred square feet. Although bees can live in various environments, not every backyard is an excellent place to have a colony. Here’s a rule of thumb when you consider having a beehive;

A typical beehive is approximately 22 inches x 16 inches. You need 5 feet of space in each direction around the hive. If you plan to have more than one honeycomb, they should be at least three feet apart.

Bee diseases, insects in South Africa

The honey bee population worldwide is exposed to pests, parasites, pesticides, land use, climate change, and other stressors. These factors, and some home-bred beetles, such as the cappuccino social parasite, play a role in the health of South Africa’s bee population and all possible adverse effects on South Africa’s beekeeping industry. These various threats also threaten the agricultural sector and biodiversity, as both depend on pollination services.

Because beekeepers keep only a small portion of the bee population in South Africa, and beekeepers “refill” their stocks by catching sheep, the wild population constitutes an essential resource that must be used sustainably. Beekeepers need to recognize the various bee pests and diseases. Early detection of any problem can lead to immediate action and thus prevent severe outbreaks and the resulting economic losses.

Honey market in South Africa

Demand for honey in South Africa is very high, about 3000 tons per year. Honey is a sweet, sticky juice used for human consumption throughout South Africa. You can deliver your honey to individuals, supermarkets, restaurants, and organizations. Honey is also used in medicine and cosmetics. Another by-product of bee farming is beeswax, which is used to polish shoes and make candles. Your bee farming business plan should include an appropriate marketing strategy.

In case you missed it: Earning 2 to 3 Lakhs from Mixed Farming: A Success Story of a Farmer in India

Frequently asked questions about bee framing in South Africa (FAQ)

How much money does a beekeeper make in South Africa?

The average beekeeper’s salary is ZAR 228,916 a year and ZAR 110 per hour in South Africa. The average salary of a beekeeper is between ZAR 171,231 and ZAR 280,688.

Do you require a license to keep bees in South Africa?

If you have permission, it is permissible to keep bees in the Johannesburg metropolitan area. Below is a copy of the Johannesburg Metro bylaws relating to Beekeeping. If you plan to raise bees this way, it is recommended that you attend a beginner course on Beekeeping.

How much land is required for bees?

Each hive is approximately 2.5 square feet and should have a radius of at least five feet around it. Most beekeepers have one to four hives. Remember, bees are not set and forgotten. They require work to maintain.

Which side should the beehive face in South Africa?

Many experienced beekeepers suggest that the entrance to the hive should face south or east. The Southern Exhibition is significant.

How much honey is in a hive in South Africa?

With an average production of 15 kg of honey per year, 105 442 hives could produce 1580 tons of honey per year. Using the average retail price of honey of R40 / kg, the potential cost of producing honey from gum orchards in South Africa is R63. 2 million annually.

How long do bees live in South Africa?

The average age of a queen is three to four years. Drones usually die during mating or are removed from the hive before winter. And workers can survive a few weeks in the summer and several months in the extended areas in the winter.

This information Bee Farming in South Africa: How to Start, Beekeeping Cost, and Profit appeared first on AgriFarming