Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has reaffirmed government’s commitment to strengthening South Africa’s beekeeping industry, describing honeybees as “the farmers of the sky” whose silent labour underpins food security, rural livelihoods, and biodiversity.
Speaking at the Beekeeping Awareness Field Day, held at Oude Raapkraal in Westlake, Cape Town, Steenhuisen said the role of bees in agriculture goes far beyond honey production.
“They do not use tractors or ploughs, yet their work ensures that nearly 75% of our food crops bear fruit. In South Africa, bee pollination contributes more than R10 billion every year to agriculture,” Steenhuisen said.
Bees and food security
The Minister emphasised that beekeeping is a vital contributor to the country’s agricultural sector for contribution to food security, income generation and economic development.
“Beekeeping contributes directly and indirectly to job creation in South Africa – from the beekeepers to the farmworkers involved in pollination-dependent crops,” he said.
Bees, recognised under the Animal Improvement Act (Act No. 62 of 1998) as agricultural animals, play a key role in several of the department’s strategic outcomes, including increased production, improved food and nutrition security, enhanced biosecurity, and greater market access.
Steenhuisen warned that habitat loss, drought, and pesticide misuse threaten bee populations. “When the land stops flowering, bees go hungry, colonies weaken, and honey yields decline.”
Imagine if every farm, school, and roadside in South Africa became a bee garden – filled with indigenous plants, fruit trees, and wildflowers,” Steenhuisen said.
He also urged the responsible use of pesticides, noting that spraying at the wrong time, during bloom, can kill thousands of bees overnight.
The department, he said, is strengthening integrated pest management, encouraging farmers and beekeepers to communicate, spray responsibly, and use less toxic options.
Building the honey value chain
Beyond pollination, the Minister highlighted honey’s growing economic importance. South Africa produces up to 2 500 tons of honey annually but consumes nearly double that amount, relying heavily on imports, primarily from China.
“We rely heavily on the imports of natural honey, with more than 80% of our imported honey coming from China. We also import from Zambia, India, Poland and Yemen. Since there is such a high demand for this product, we have seen an increase of very poor quality and sometimes adulterated honey,” Steenhuisen said.
To address this, he said the Department of Agriculture’s Inspection Services will again conduct an operation in December to remove mislabelled or counterfeit honey products from store shelves.
“These operations are part of our efforts to ensure that citizens get the quality goods they intended to purchase. By investing in our local beekeepers, honey processors, and cooperatives, we can grow this sector into a thriving value chain that supports rural jobs, exports, and food authenticity.”
Strengthening research and biosecurity
The Minister noted progress on strategic areas to support the bee industry for sustainability, and these include development of a National Beekeeping/Apiculture Strategy for South Africa; development of an AFB (American foulbrood) Management and Response Strategy; Bee Forage Strategy; finalisation of the Residue Monitoring Plan for honey export to the EU; establishment of the Honey Value Chain Round-Table Forum; and resuscitation of the bilateral engagement platform between the department and bee industry (SABIO) lab accreditation in South Africa for the testing of honey for disease and chemical residues.
He confirmed that the department has commissioned the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) to conduct research on bees: “Survey of AFB in honeybee colonies in South Africa protecting beekeeping and pollination services.”
The research also intends for the development of a consolidated National Beekeeping Strategy for South Africa, as well as an AFB Management Strategy.
“Our task is clear – to protect these pollinators, nurture our beekeepers, and grow South Africa’s honey industry into a model of sustainability and pride. Together, we can make sure that the hum of the honeybee continues to be the sound of life, abundance, and hope for generations to come.”
