food security
The Ubunte Beekeeping Programme connects women, livelihoods, agriculture, environmental restoration and markets.
Ubuntu Bee Programme
Creating livelihoods, restoring nature
A bee can travel from flower to flower, connecting one part of an ecosystem to another.
The Ubuntu Beekeeping Programme works in much the same way, connecting women, livelihoods, agriculture, environmental restoration and markets.
Beekeeping offers rural communities an opportunity to generate income from a natural resource while contributing to pollination and biodiversity. But putting a hive in a community is not enough. Beekeepers need knowledge, equipment, mentorship, forage, markets and ongoing support.
That is why our approach goes beyond beekeeping.
Our approach
The Ubuntu Beekeeping Programme supports rural women and young people to develop beekeeping into a sustainable livelihood.
Participants receive practical training, equipment and mentorship. We also work with communities to strengthen bee forage and introduce complementary agricultural activities that can provide additional income while hives mature.
Our aim is to build viable rural enterprises while protecting and restoring the natural environment on which they depend.
What we do
- Beekeeping training and practical skills development
- Provision of hives and beekeeping equipment
- Ongoing mentorship and technical support
- Support with hive management and honey production
- Business and financial management training
- Market access and enterprise development
- Development of bee friendly forage
- Planting of food producing and cash crops
- Production of value added bee products such as candles, lip balm and propolis products
- Support for women and youth entering rural enterprises
Our reach
The Ubuntu Beekeeping Programme currently works with 160 beekeepers, mainly women and young people, supported by eight mentors across six provinces.
Over 1,200 hives have been placed through the programme.
More than honey
For us, the real value of beekeeping lies in what happens around the hive.
A woman gains an income generating asset. A young person gains a skill. A community plants forage. Farmers benefit from pollination. Natural habitats become more valuable. New products and markets become possible.
We are developing a model where beekeeping is part of a broader rural livelihood ecosystem.
Looking ahead
We aim to expand the collective to more beekeepers while strengthening the connection between beekeeping, regenerative agriculture and market access.
Our vision is for rural women and young people to build sustainable livelihoods while becoming custodians of the ecosystems around them.
Honey Sites
Honey Brands
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