The South African Bee Industry Organisation (SABIO) is the recognised national body representing the beekeeping sector in South Africa.
SABIO exists to unify, support, and represent the interests of beekeepers across the country. As a voluntary organisation governed by its Memorandum of Incorporation, SABIO is led by an elected Board that serves the collective interests of the industry and engages with government, research institutions, and agricultural stakeholders.
Our work includes policy engagement, industry development, education, and collaboration. We promote responsible beekeeping, support emerging and smallholder beekeepers, and encourage growth across all provinces.
By bringing diverse voices together under one national body, SABIO helps strengthen South Africa’s bee industry and supports its role in agriculture, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability.
WHAT WE DO
Our value to the community broadly covers the following areas:
Promoting and advancing the beekeeping industry in South Africa
Operating as the spokesperson for the beekeeping sector in South Africa on all matters affecting the beekeeping industry
Acting as an umbrella body for all affiliated beekeeping bodies and assisting with the establishment and promotion of Beekeeping Associations throughout all provinces in South Africa
Liaising directly with any government department or institution on all matters affecting the beekeeping sector in South Africa
Liaising with any body or organization involved in agriculture in South Africa to promote beekeeping activities and services and all bee products linked to the agriculture industry
Promoting the development of beekeeping in the informal and disadvantaged communities in South Africa
Assisting with the development of research in any aspects of apiculture and liaise with any research institution on matters impacting on the beekeeping sector in South Africa
Keeping all persons involved in the beekeeping industry informed of current issues affecting beekeeping in the country and internationally as far as is reasonably possible
Encouraging conformity amongst the beekeeping community with all statutory requirements affecting beekeeping including, although not limited to, registration of beekeepers, movement of bees, disease control and the importation of any bee products into the Republic of South Africa
Liaising with other international organizations involved in apiculture
OUR HISTORY
Although three regional Beekeeping Associations had been in existence since the first decade of the 20th Century, Transvaal (1907), Natal (1909) and Western Province (1911), the first national body of Beekeepers in South Africa was formed in 1921 in the form of the South Africa Association of Beekeepers, (SAAB).
This name however changed on occasion throughout the years, notably to the South African Federation of Beekeepers Associations in the 1960’s although it was always commonly referred to as the SA Association of Beekeepers.
1993 a further structural change took place with the establishment of the Southern African Bee Industry Executive (SABIE) which was made up of representatives from the SA Federation of Bee Farmers Associations and the SA Professional Bee Farmers’ Co-Operative Ltd.
The Bee Industry body has retained its structural format since 2003 despite a number of constitutional changes to improve its operations and presentively. As per legislative requirements, a 2-level governance structure (a board and EXCO) was set up. This aims to ensure smooth governance and through more people handling the different portfolio obligations, the strategic objectives of SABIO can be reached.
The regulation of Beekeeping in South Africa has always fallen within the ambit of the Agricultural Pests Act.
In 1998 a Control Measure was promulgated primarily in response to the control of the “capensis invasion” requiring all beekeepers to register. The administrative requirements were delegated to the then SABIE body. SABIO took over this function in 2003.
This function has been relinquished to the Department of Agriculture in 2013 in terms of the amended Control Measure.