The South African Bee Industry Organisation (SABIO) comprises persons involved in the keeping of bees, which can be for commercial purposes or recreational use. Bees are usually kept for the production of honey or pollination, or both.
In 1998, the regulation of beekeeping in South Africa was promulgated in response to the control of ‘capensis invasion’ which required all beekeepers to register with SABIO. The organisation was granted the administrative requirements, which was then relinquished to the Department of Agriculture in 2013.
Presently, The South African Bee Industry Organisation (SABIO) includes four different beekeepers: commercial beekeepers, who managed around 800 to 10 000 beehives; small-scale beekeepers who keep 100 - 800 beehives; hobbyists, with only 1 to 100 beehives, and smallholder/developmental beekeepers building a co-operative or community project with 10 to 150 beehives.
In addition, the South African Bee Industry Organisation represents people involved in research work, training and development within Apiculture science and beekeeping. Any persons involved in bottling, packing and manufacturing of honeybee products are represented, as well as persons involved in the sale and manufacturing of bee equipment. Bee removal services, captors and relocators of honeybee colonies are also part of SABIO.
In recent years, membership has increased to 183 beekeepers and producers, with around 26 professional and corporate members. The organisation also consists of a dedicated board of members who oversee the daily operations of SABIO, and orchestrates annual general meetings, among other duties.
The most important thing new beekeepers in South Africa will need when starting beekeeping is knowledge....