Welcome to the BioAfrica Website

BioBees

The 600 bee hives owned and managed by BioAfrica produce about 18 tons of honey per year. This natural quality honey is cold extracted, bottled and sold in 500gr bottles to various supermarkets and health shops as well as by our BioAgents. Our 30 Beekeepers from previously disadvantaged backgrounds (BioBeekeepers) are guided and advised by Steph Hartung and Nathan Emery. This is a further job creation as the beekeepers are trained and managed by BioAfrica.

Even though the bees and actual hives are owned by BioHoney, Half of the profits go to the bee farmers, the land the bees stand and forage on is owned by larger commercial farmers. The hives are never migrated due to the capenses problem. These emerging beekeepers are responsible for the security, fire breaks and the normal hive management.

BioAfrica provides our emerging BioBeekeepers with veils, gloves and protective clothing these are paid off over 2 years from honey sales profits. The frames are standard Langstroth with wax foundation, also provided by BioAfrica,

BioAfrica’s in-house beekeepers use motorbikes to visit our emerging BioBeekeepers on a weekly or by monthly bases. They use GPS tracking to check if the bees are producing well in each area. The basic beehive information is entered into a mobile phone (MS Excel spreadsheet) each hive has a barcode number.

This information is downloaded into a computer, this information is then analysed and a honey harvesting and bee management plan is drawn up. Our BioBeekeepers are contacted via mobile phone - short text message at what date and time the pickup will be arriving for honey harvesting.

BioBeekeepers are expected to harvest the honey assisted by BioHoney team members. Every super harvested from every hive is weighed in the field and logged on the system. The BioBeekeepers always know what amount of honey was harvested form their own bees.

The honey is then processed and bottled under the Steph’s Honey label, sold, and the profit split between BioHoney and the emerging BioBeekeepers.

It costs about R5000 (US$600 and takes about 1 month) to train a farm girl/boy to become a BioBeekeeper. BioAfrica through BioHoney paid for this opportunity cost without any assistance from Government or any NGO’s thus far. We training and qualified more than 73 people form Lesotho and South Africa at cost to BioHoney of more than R 365000, this seen as an investment into human resources….the return will pay off over 3 years.

BioHoney has plans to train another 90 beekeepers over the next 3 years. We invite you to for this opportunity in sponsoring an African beekeeper to become a BioBeekeepers please contact us.

BioAfrica also provides these trained BioBeekeepers with 20 beehives each. This is a huge cost to the company, beehives are not cheap at a cost of R450 ( about US$65) each.

The biohive is a combination of the Topbar hive and the Langstroth hive, it is specifically designed for the African bee and its environment.

Currently BioAfrica owns all the beehives but will in 3 years time become the ownership of the BioBeekeepers.

The BioBees system works very well, as there is a minimal cost on producing honey in this way. BioHoney is responsible for all equipment supply, transport, processing. While BioBeekeepers are responsible for their bees by doing the beekeeping, harvesting and ensuring security of the bees sites. It is a wining combination and most successful BioBeekeepers can earn as much as R9000 or (U$ 1200) per year.

Steph’s Honey can be ordered by contacting BioHoney and is sold for R20 per 500gr jar.

Do you have a Bee Problem?

Honey bees swarm once a year; they usually find one of the following areas attractive:

1. In the birdhouse in your trees
2. In the swimming pool pump box
3. In the Wendy House in your garden
4. In your roof or an air vent in your ceiling
5. In an air vent under you wooden floors
6. under your bath tub
7. In the electric meter box
8. In the water meter box
9. Between house walls, cavities, or behind rocks in the garden.
10. Or any other warm, protected, enclosed area in your yard.

Bees prefer to swarm into or “make a nest” in Urban areas as most people take pride in their home and gardens. This results in beautiful flowers and nectar bearing plants most year round, providing regular food for bees to sustain their hives and brood.

BioHoney offers a service for Bee Removal Johannesburg and Bee Removal Gauteng area. We will remove the bees for a fee of R900 per bee hive.

If the bees can be taken alive we give them to our BioBeekeepers so that they can increase their bee hive numbers. But sadly it is sometimes too dangerous to remove bees then they are poisoned and Killed.

What should I do if I have a honeybee swarm in My Home?

Remain calm, bees only attack humans if provoked or threatened. Stay as far as possible away from the beehive. Call BioHoney to save you form this danger.

What can make bees attack humans?

1. Avoid mowing the lawn near a beehive
2. Avoid working or tilling the soil - as bees often make hives underground, the smell of freshly turned soil will excite bees.
3. The smell of sweat on a hot day will anger bees, be it human, horse or any other animal.
4. The smell of alcohol will also excite bees
5. Never make a Fire near bees as this will anger them
6. Avoid fast movements at the hot day hours near bees.
7. Don’t think that bees are your friend, they are dangerous insects and will KILL if provoked. Bees are unpredictable IF angered and should only be handled by trained and experienced beekeepers.

Contact us - BioAfrica for all you bee problems or send and SMS or Call to 0736395576

It costs R900 for each beehive removed. Have a look at our sister site Bee Removal Expert.