South African Women Beekeepers Produce Apitherapy Products

Honey Organisation‘s Launch Reason Enough to Wax Lyrical
By Dieketseng Maleke, The Herald (South Africa), 8/20/2008

The Eastern Cape branch of the first black-led honey producers‘ organisation in South Africa has been launched in Frankfurt village near Bhisho.

Agriculture department spokesman Thozi Manyisana said: “The industry was not open to previously disadvantaged communities, but now the farmers have organised themselves and made strides in entering the market.”

Manyisana said there were 50 beekeeping farmers in the Eastern Cape and the launch would take place on the site of a project where there were more than 200 beehives.

“People in some projects are not just selling the honey – they also use the wax to make candles, soaps, floor polishes and lip balms.”

Manyisana said in another project, in Lusikisiki, women bee farmers were producing medicines out of the pollen which helped stomach aches, propolis which helped in curing open wounds and “royal jelly” which boosted the immune system...