BY SAMUEL NJINGA
Seventy-five war veterans, ex-detainees and war collaborators in Masvingo have found themselves at the centre of a potentially lucrative economic revival—apiculture. The group recently completed a two-day Phase 1 beekeeping training workshop at Mushagashe Vocational Training Centre, a programme facilitated by a private apiculture firm and funded by the Ministry of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle.
What may appear like a modest training initiative is, in fact, a bold step into a global industry that is growing rapidly. According to market research firm IMARC, the global honey market was valued at about US$9.4 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$13.6 billion by 2030, expanding at an annual rate of 5.3 percent. Driving this growth is a rising preference for natural sweeteners and a surge in demand for value-added products such as propolis, royal jelly, beeswax and pollen commodities widely used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food processing.
Africa has quietly become one of the fastest-growing regions in honey production. The continent produces more than 220,000 tonnes annually, with Ethiopia leading at over 50,000 tonnes per year. Tanzania, Angola, Algeria, Kenya and Uganda are also scaling up, supported by cooperative models and export-driven strategies. Ethiopia has even positioned itself as a key supplier to the Middle East and Europe by investing in quality certification and traceability.
By contrast, Zimbabwe, despite its favourable climate, rich mimveva woodlands and diverse flora, has not fully tapped into the apiculture boom. UN trade statistics show that the country imported about 14.3 tonnes of honey worth US$44,600 in 2023, mostly from Zambia and South Africa. Though the figure may look small in dollar terms, it signals a critical gap: Zimbabwe has become a net importer of a product it could easily produce organically and competitively.
Beekeeping presents a unique set of advantages, especially for rural communities and vulnerable groups such as war veterans. Unlike traditional agriculture, apiculture does not require large tracts of land or irrigation infrastructure. Hives can be placed in backyards, forests or communal rangelands. Start-up costs are modest compared to other value chains, with the primary investment being hives, protective gear, smokers and extraction kits.
Crucially, honey yields are less vulnerable to climate variability. Bees forage across wide areas, following flowering cycles rather than irrigation schedules. In Zimbabwe, beekeepers can manage 20 to 50 hives with relative ease, producing honey valued both locally and regionally. In addition, by-products such as wax and propolis are already being used in cosmetics and traditional medicine, opening multiple income streams.
“This training has opened our eyes,” said Cde White Munyenge whose Chimurenga war name is Sunungurai Zimbabwe Yadhura, one of the veterans who attended the Mushagashe workshop. “We have been searching for projects that fit our rural realities. With beekeeping, I can produce honey on a small plot, sell it to local shops, and grow into a bigger business. It does not require heavy labour or expensive inputs like maize or cattle.”
Mrs Mary Njokoza, a former war collaborator and widow from Chiredzi, said she sees apiculture as a game-changer for women. “We learned that it’s not just about honey. Wax, pollen and propolis can be sold. For women in rural areas, this is an enterprise that does not strain us physically but brings real income. I’m confident this will empower us economically.”
Neighbouring countries offer useful models. Zambia has successfully developed a honey export industry into Europe, supported by donor-funded quality control centres and strong producer associations. Ethiopia, Africa’s largest producer, exports thousands of tonnes annually and has established global markets by branding its honey as organic and medicinal. Tanzania, meanwhile, has leveraged its forest reserves to create large-scale apiaries while training smallholders to become commercial suppliers.
Analysts believe Zimbabwe could follow suit if it builds strong cooperatives, quality assurance systems, and export pathways. “Zimbabwe has the natural conditions for organic honey,” one apiculture expert involved in the training explained. “What’s needed is structured market linkages, traceability systems and value addition so that our producers can move beyond raw honey into processed, branded products.”
For the war veterans, the Mushagashe programme is only the beginning. The training is set to continue into Phase 2 and 3, focusing on hive management, disease control, queen rearing and safe harvesting practices. Officials also plan to link producers with buyers and processors to ensure a ready market for their output.
Experts outlined four enablers to scale up apiculture. These are intensive Training which focusses on equipping beekeepers with technical knowledge to improve yields and prevent losses. Secondly,
Quality standards that align with codex requirements to ensure export readiness and premium pricing. Thirdly, aggregation that has got to do with forming cooperatives and collection centres to pool volumes, reduce costs and enable branding as well as securing affordable loans for equipment tied to guaranteed market contracts.
Beekeeping also delivers wider dividends. Bees are natural pollinators, boosting yields for crops such as sunflowers, horticultural produce and indigenous fruits. Communities with hives are more likely to conserve trees and woodlands, since deforestation directly threatens their livelihoods. This aligns with the government’s Vision 2030 agenda, which prioritises rural industrialisation and sustainable development.
Yet risks remain. adulterated honey threatens consumer confidence; veld fires and deforestation can wipe out forage; and fragmented value chains may trap producers at the raw commodity stage. Also bogus honey sellers are perpetually poisoning the market by adding sugar into the honey in a bid to fork out more money.Industry players say these challenges are surmountable with enforcement, extension services and strong partnerships.
If each of the 75 participants from Mushagashe successfully establishes even 20 hives within a year, Masvingo could produce more than a tonne of honey collectively, enough to reduce imports and create a model for replication nationwide. With time, and with proper branding, Zimbabwe could not only meet domestic demand but also compete regionally alongside Ethiopia, Zambia and Tanzania.
As Cde Alec Shangwa Chagweda put it, “Our struggle was about freedom. Today, beekeeping is about economic freedom. With the right support, we can turn honey into our next liberation dividend.”