Entrepreneurs’ Hotspot
We have heard so often in the past that entrepreneurship is key to limiting the terrible impact of poverty among the majority of South Africans. We’ve also heard that SMEs are crucial for job creation. Yet, despite this, we have not really seen much positive impact on either poverty or unemployment, which remain among the most serious problems facing our country.
We also know that women are most often at the very bottom of the pile in our society, both as victims of Gender-based Violence and in economic activity. So, coupled with the fact that the majority of households in our country are headed by women, it surely makes sense that initiatives geared to provide people with the opportunities and skills to become self-sufficient should target women.
This is exactly what is being done by the Israel-based Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a member of the Mensch network, through its South African partners, Mensch and Ripples for Change. Together, they have launched and activated The Ubuntu Beekeeping Initiative, a unique project bringing together women from impoverished rural environments, which trains them to build beekeeping businesses that produce quality raw organic honey for sale.
Gina Flash, the Director of Mensch, comments that, “Through this project, newly trained women beekeepers can boost their income, and build a better future for their families. And, by investing in bees and nurturing their ecosystem, the women also become successful advocates for sustainability.”
The goal of boosting income is borne out by what some of the beekeepers from the Initiative have experienced. During a session at Limmud, held in Cape Town during August, one of the project’s successful businesswomen explained that she used to struggle to survive on state grants of about R8 000 per month; whereas, through the beekeeping project, she can generate R35 000 a month from the honey produced by her bees. In fact, the woman added, she can now pay for her children’s tertiary education without having to rely on state education grants – which are not always forthcoming.
According to Yael Zaken, the local representative of the JDC, the largest Jewish humanitarian aid organisation in the world, “Food security is an important element of the work of the JDC around the world, and this beekeeping project fits into this focus area through a programme called ‘Imagine More’. We believe that, despite being among the most vulnerable in many societies, women are most likely to bring about meaningful change. From a financial perspective, we also know that women tend to reinvest more of their profits back into their business ventures than is the case with men, and so these women-run businesses are likely to be sustainable.”
The JDC Imagine More project provides participants with access to equipment, training and, very importantly, to markets. As one of the beekeepers said, “We are so thankful to the JDC. They are truly fulfilling the saying, ‘Don’t give a person a fish; rather teach them how to fish.’”
The project has also created a community and sense of camaraderie among the women, some of whom have even formed co-ops. This is hugely empowering for women who have never owned their own businesses or have remained unemployed for long periods.
As regards training, the women receive 20 lessons on beekeeping, and then they are allocated a mentor, who is most often a successful beekeeper who has been through the same project. During the training, they acquire the skills to make honey, wax and mead – all products that can be sold at a profit.
In addition to the sale of the products, income can be generated from letting bee boxes. This is particularly valuable during the winter months, when little honey is produced. “It’s a win-win for farmers since they need the bees to pollinate their crops, and this provides our women with an additional source of income,” explains Yael.
This project is an example of social entrepreneurship at its best. The contribution of donors both financially and in terms of providing access to information and training is significant. It can help take whole families out of poverty, but the project also gives people a sense of dignity. As one of the women commented, “I want to thank the JDC for giving us the chance to become proper members of society.”
The impact in numbers
• 112 beekeepers currently, and each of them supports a family
• By the end of this year, there should be 163 beekeepers
• The goal is to have 400 beekeepers in the project by the end of 2026
Mensch Programme Manager, Jodi Ramsay, explains that, “Through a Rosh Hashanah Honey Campaign focused on selling Beth Din of Johannesburg Certified Kosher honey to the Jewish Community at Limmud (Johannesburg and Cape Town), at the Cape Town Wizo Yom Tov Market, and via Mensch’s online Rosh Hashanah Honey Campaign to the Capetonian Jewish community, thus far 2 360 jars of honey have been sold, generating revenue of over R141 000 for the beekeepers.“
How you can help.
• Contact Ripples for Change, to find a supplier in your area, or learn more about the project: https://rfcza.org/ubuntu-beekeeping/
• Don’t buy foreign-made honey from supermarkets. These are mostly of inferior quality and may be unhealthy. Rather support local!
• Read the October 2024 issue in magazine format here.
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