South African Bee Industry Organisation

The South African Bee Industry Organisation (SABIO) is an organised body that represents the interests of the beekeeping industry of SA. 

The South African Bee Industry Organisation also support the development of the sector, and the environmental security of the honeybee.

Founded in 2003, SABIO is responsible for the coordination and management of beekeeping at a local, regional and national level. The organisation also has partnerships with international bodies in the bee industry. The South African Bee Industry Organisation works with the government to ensure that the beekeeping industry is well managed, acts as the spokesperson for the industry, and strives to set and maintain top standards in Apiculture. 

The first regional beekeeping associations came into existence in the early 1910s and the first national association, the South Africa Association of Beekeepers, was formed in 1921. The name changed to the South African Federation of Beekeepers in the 1960s, and a further structural change came in 1993 with the establishment of the South African Bee Industry Executive (SABIE), which included representatives from the SA Federation of Bee Farmers and SA Professional Bee Farmers’ Co-operative. 

In 2003, SABIE was reconstructed to become the South African Bee Industry Organisation (SABIO), which would represent all beekeeping farmers, producers, suppliers and stakeholders.

South African Bee Industry Organisation (SABIO) is committed to the well-being of bees and the environmental viability of beekeeping. As beekeeping is practiced around the country, the organisation is spread nationwide, with ties to the Department of Agriculture.

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