Honey
ZAMBIA HONEY SECTOR KEY FIGURES
| Export Revenue Growth (2011-2022) | Beekeepers Trained | Bulking Centres | Follow-On AfDB Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD 684,000 to USD 6.09 million | 6,580 | 18 | USD 1.4 million |
Zambia’s honey export revenue grew from USD 684,000 in 2011 to USD 6.09 million in 2022, an increase of approximately 790%, following a joint Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation programme that trained 6,580 beekeepers in modern apiary management, exceeding its original 5,000-beekeeper target.
The programme, supported by the Enhanced Integrated Framework, distributed 5,000 modern beehives, 4,000 sets of protective clothing, 5,000 harvest and storage buckets and 2,000 smokers, and established 18 bulking centres, prompting a further USD 1.4 million follow-on investment from the African Development Bank’s Africa Trade Fund, backed by Canada.
Export Growth and Training Programme
Zambia’s honey export revenue rose from USD 684,000 in 2011 to USD 6.09 million in 2022, an increase of approximately 790% over the eleven-year period, according to the Enhanced Integrated Framework, the World Trade Organisation-hosted global partnership for least developed countries’ trade development[1]. The growth followed a training programme run jointly by Zambia’s Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, which set out to train 5,000 beekeepers in modern apiary management and exceeded that target, ultimately reaching 6,580 beekeepers through a training-of-trainers approach that also increased women’s participation in the sector[1].
Infrastructure and Follow-On Investment
The programme distributed 5,000 modern beehives, 4,000 sets of protective clothing, 5,000 harvest and storage buckets and 2,000 smokers to trained beekeepers, and established 18 bulking centres to aggregate and process honey ahead of sale[1]. The initial programme’s success prompted a further USD 1.4 million investment from the African Development Bank’s Africa Trade Fund, backed by Canada, to build on the results[1].
Investment Opportunities
The near eight-fold rise in export revenue over a decade, achieved from a beekeeper base that itself grew through training rather than through capital investment in processing or export infrastructure, points to aggregation, bulking and export-grade processing capacity as the segments of Zambia’s honey value chain with the most direct room for new investment, a case the African Development Bank’s own USD 1.4 million follow-on commitment to the sector already reflects[1].
Last Update: September 2026
