The Department of Agriculture is finalising a National Beekeeping Strategy aimed at safeguarding the pollination services that underpin South Africa's fruit export supply chain with measures to strengthen biosecurity, disease management and export certification.
Speaking at the South African Bee Industry Organisation's (SABIO) BEECON 2026 conference at Sun City, Department of Agriculture Director-General Mooketsa Ramasodi said managed honeybees pollinated an estimated 80% of the country's fruit crops and other economically important plants, making the sector a critical component of agricultural infrastructure.
"The future of agriculture depends on the future of bees, and the future of bees depends on the choices we make today," he said.
The strategy, expected to be finalised during the 2026/27 financial year, will include legislative reform, enhanced biosecurity and laboratory accreditation to support disease diagnostics and export certification.
Ramasodi said the department had commissioned the Agricultural Research Council to undertake research on American Foulbrood (AFB), a disease that threatens honeybee colonies worldwide.
"This important initiative seeks not only to understand the prevalence and impact of AFB in South Africa but also to support the development of both an AFB Management Strategy and a comprehensive National Beekeeping Strategy," he said.
He added that finalising a national Residue Monitoring Plan to test food products for chemical contaminants remained critical for maintaining and expanding access to international markets.
According to Department of Agriculture trade data, South Africa exported natural honey worth approximately R11.9 million during the first four months of the year, a 35% increase compared with the same period last year. Botswana remained the largest export destination, followed by Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Namibia. Despite the growth in exports, South Africa remained a net importer of honey, with imports exceeding R18 million in April compared with exports of about R3 million, while China continued to dominate the import market.
Addressing delegates at the conference, outgoing Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said the economic value of pollination extended far beyond the honey trade.
"They support the production systems that underpin many of our most successful export industries. Every season, managed colonies move into orchards and plantations across the country to pollinate crops that eventually find their way on to supermarket shelves in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and throughout Africa."
He said pollination was one of the factors enabling South African citrus, apples, pears, macadamias, avocados and berries to meet the quality standards required by international markets.
"Successful exports support jobs in packhouses, cold-chain facilities, logistics companies and ports. They generate foreign exchange, strengthen rural economies and reinforce South Africa's reputation as a reliable supplier of premium agricultural products," said Steenhuisen.
