Honey the ‘bee's knees’ for Zibungu women

Honey the ‘bee's knees’

for Zibungu women

For nearly two decades, a group of elderly women from Zibungu village, which is situated in the rural hinterlands of Libode, have become master beekeepers who harvest honey for a living. Such has been the impact of their craft that in Zibungu and other surrounding villages, they are fondly referred to as oomama beenyosi – or mothers of bees. After completing training, 15 villagers showed interest and established the Phila Beekeeping Co-operative. Nokuxolelwa Nduku said they used their profits to buy containers and stickers for their product and saved some in a business account. She said they harvested honey about three times a year. ‘This is a lifetime business and I sent my children and grandchildren to school with the money that we make from selling honey, and I even built my home,’ she said. She said their hope was to supply their honey to local and national supermarkets.