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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
A FLOURISHING bee keeping, honey processing and packaging project has transformed the lives of the previously jobless villagers in Matobo District in Matabeleland South province.

Villagers sell the honey locally and in Bulawayo while a few export to South Africa.

They also make beeswax candles for sale.

The apiculture project was initiated by Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre in 2016 through the assistance of Matobo Rural District Council and the Forestry Commission.

It consists of several groups including 1 000 individual honey producers whose honey is marketed under the Matojeni Honey brand.

As part of improving the quality of the product, Matojeni Honey members have constructed a honey processing centre at Nathisa Business Centre to value-add the honey.

Through their efforts, they are now getting the sweet taste of success through bee keeping and honey production.

The honey making project is playing a pivotal role in improving income and food security at household level.

Fambidzanai, a local non-governmental organisation, has been at the forefront in terms of promoting food security through sustainable land use management in the country.

It is one of the oldest permaculture centres in Africa.

Its interventions are biased towards climate change adaptation, resilience-building, environmental regeneration, the use of renewable energy and sustainable utilisation of natural resources as well as the use of chemical-free technologies in the food system

One of the members of Matojeni Honey, Mr Sipho Dube from Nathisa in Ward 16, said the bee keeping initiative has benefitted them immensely as it is a major income generating project.

“We make money through selling honey, which we produce for individuals and local retailers including some shops in Bulawayo.

Apart from uplifting the livelihoods of members, the honey project has also improved nutritional values and food security,” he said.

Honey is also important for its medicinal aspect especially for those suffering from asthma.

Mr Dube said through bee keeping, he has managed to pay school fees for his children and modernised his homestead.

“Keeping bees helps protect the veld and at the same time, it is a form of business to help us sustain our families.

I have been paying schools fees for my children without any challenges through the proceeds from bee keeping and honey production,” he said.

“In my group, when we started this project, we were actually 11, but sadly two of our members have since passed on.

Initially, when we formed the group, we thought of keeping bees instead of just harvesting them from the bush where there are a lot of disturbances.”

Mr Dube said after harvesting and processing the honey, he exports some of the packaged products to South Africa.

He harvests the honey three times a year. If the harvest is good, one beehive can produce 30kg, which translates to about 60 by 500ml bottles each going for US$7.

“I sell my packaged honey mostly locally and sometimes the consignment goes to South Africa.

Our honey has been proven to be organic with at least 17 percent of water and laboratory tests have been done to prove that,” said Mr Dube.

Mr Dube, in the process, has emerged as a complete bee-entrepreneur.

He is even sought after as a trainer for school children and other farmers attending beekeeping courses.

He recently introduced a bee keeping project and training programmes at Whitewater Primary School in Matobo as part of empowering learners and imparting skills.

Mr Dube lamented thieves who are invading their apiaries and stealing honey.

“In most cases, these poachers leave the beehives open resulting in bees fleeing and it’s really affecting our business,” he said
Ms Sibongile Ndlovu (53) said her standard of living has tremendously improved through bee keeping.

“Our area is rich in terms of thick forests, which are an ideal habitat for bees.

This business of keeping bees has improved my lifestyle and I managed to solarise my homestead and bought household property,” she said.

“Two of my children are now at university through selling honey.

As a widow, I am also taking care of my two orphaned grandchildren through this Matojeni Honey project.”

Matojeni Honey also manufacture beeswax candles for sale including propolis, which can be used for attracting bees at newly set hives.

Propolis is a red or brown resinous substance collected by honeybees from tree buds, used by them to fill crevices and to seal and varnish honeycombs.

Wax is also used to produce body lotion and shoe polish.

Honey contains a number of nutritional and medicinal benefits.

The sweet golden liquid from the beehive is a popular kitchen staple loaded with antibacterial and antifungal properties. Honey’s scientific super powers contribute to its vastly touted health benefits for the whole body.

The healthy natural sweetener offers many nutritional benefits depending on its variety.

Raw honey is the unpasteurised version of commonly used honey and only differs in its filtration, which helps extend its shelf life.

Fambidzanai director, Mr Lewis Mashingaidze said as part of complementing Government’s efforts in terms of improving livelihoods in rural communities, his organisation identified small-scale farmers in Wards 16, 17 and 18 in Matobo District and trained them in bee keeping and honey production.

“We identified areas where we thought bee keeping could be done successfully.

We then identified individuals who could take up bee keeping and trained them on hive making, queen rearing, royal jelly production, honey processing and testing, packaging and business development skills,” he said.

“We also taught them on how to manage bees, growing fodder crops, which are used to feed them as well as on how to protect bees from pests.”

Mr Mashingaidze said the success of the honey production project prompted the organisation to assist members to construct a honey processing centre to improve the quality of their product as well as enhance their business acumen.

“Initially, the farmers were doing the processing at their homes, which was unhygienic hence we decided to help them construct a honey processing unit, which we equipped with the processing machinery.

This facility has helped to improve on issues to do with hygiene and quality as well as to ensure that the project is run as a proper business entity,” he said.

Mr Mashingaidze said gender equality was also improved as many women were able to participate in the bee-keeping courses which opened opportunities for them.

He said his organisation supports bee keeping initiatives as it guards against deforestation.

“Bee keeping projects help prevent deforestation.

Trees play an important role when it comes to forage for the bees.

In addition, environmental benefits through pollination and other aspects also improved the livelihood of the population.” – @mashnets.