Start a Honey Bee Farming Business in SA

Have you ever thought what the best natural sweetener in the world is? Nope, not sugar, its honey! But honey is not the only product bees are known for. They also produce propolis and pollen which are widely used in medicine, beeswax used in cosmetics and other products (nectar and royal jelly).

While African countries have excellent weather conditions for keeping bees, many of them buy export bee products from Europe. That’s ridiculous, isn’t it?
Therefore, starting a honey bee farming business in South Africa might be a smart decision.

Tools needed
The most basic piece of equipment every single beekeeper needs is a hive — a wooden box, which is basically a house for your bees. A hive can be bought on Gumtree for around R1000.
If you’re not ready to spend money on beehives watch the video on how to make them yourself

How to make a beehive - Part A

In this video I show most of the woodworking of making a classic beehive. For more information about this project, go here: http://scrapwoodcity.blogspot.gr/2016/03/how-to-make-diy-beehive-part-a.html For more scrap wood projects, please visit my blog: http://scrapwoodcity.blogspot.gr/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Scrapwoodcity/

Here is the list of what else you will need:
● Protective clothing and long boots. This is ridiculously important. Don’t ignore it. Bee stings can kill you!
● Honey bee feeders. You have to feed your bee family in winter when natural sources of food like flowers are not available.
● A smoker. This is a piece of equipment that is used to calm bees.

● And finally… Bees! Yes, once you have all the necessary tools and equipment, it’s time to buy a honey bee colony. You can find it from another beekeeping enthusiast living not far from your home.

Earning potential:
Experienced beekeepers who make a living with beekeeping often say:


Is there really money in a small bee farming business? Let’s do that math!
One medium-sized bee hive can produce around 15 kg of honey per year. This is over R1500 per hive.
Now you can easily calculate how much bee hives you need to make a comfortable living.

More Information
Beekeeping for Beginners: How to Be a Successful Beekeeper!
Beekeeping 101: Organic, Natural, Traditional