Get your 2008 Bee Calendar from Liddy Born. There is a limited number in stock available.

Registration of all persons with hived colonies in South Africa as specified in the Government notice R1674 of 24 December 1998 under the Agriculture pests Act (Act 36 of 1983).

SABIO is the organization managing the registration of beekeepers in South Africa. Registering requires supplying a name and postal address and paying a registration fee for which the beekeeper is allocated a registration number.  The fee at present is R150 and in order to be a paid up member of SABIO is renewable annually.   SABIO may be contacted at the above addresses and will shortly be in a position to offer on line registration.

The recent news and press releases reporting that honey being sold in South Africa is “contaminated”, contains “lethal products” and is “carcinogenic” have obviously caused considerable concern amongst consumers of honey, honey retailers, beekeepers and SABIO (the South African Bee Industry Organization). SABIO has been active for many years in trying to ensure that South African honey consumers are guaranteed a safe, healthy and quality product. Recent events demonstrate, however, that there is still much to be achieved and SABIO is actively consulting with retailers and the regulatory authorities to deliver the customer protection that is warranted.

The recent news and press releases regarding honey sold in South Africa have caused considerable concern amongst consumers of honey.  SABIO (the South African Bee Industry Organisation) has been active in trying to protect South African honey consumers from inferior, tainted honey.  Some success has been achieved over the years although there are matters that need to be rectified.  SABIO shares consumers’ concerns and has been trying for years to ensure that the consumer is protected by the legislation in place to do this. 

It is with great pleasure that I present my report for the 2005/6 year for SCBIA.

The Southern Cape Bee Industry Association has taken some time to settle down and take shape.  I believe that at the moment we have a small, but well-established association, which is well on its way to meeting the needs of its members as beekeepers in South Africa.  Agriculture faces all sorts of challenges and we have the option of hiding away in a negative shell refusing to change and adapt to these challenges – or we can explore avenues that can accommodate change so that we can keep our heads up and show that we can be competitive under any set of political pressures.  After all, people write politics not the other around.  We still have a huge contribution to make in our country’s economy however despondent we may feel at times.