United Beekeepers of Namibia

20/05/2026

Today is World Bee Day.

Across Namibia, pollinators are quietly helping keep ecosystems alive every single day.

From flowering savannahs and wild landscapes to farms, gardens, orchards, and natural spaces, African honeybees play an important role in pollination, biodiversity, and healthy ecosystems.

But this day is about more than bees alone.

It is also about the people and families quietly protecting them.
The parents teaching their children how to work calmly around hives.
The young beekeepers growing up understanding nature instead of fearing it.
The families passing down beekeeping knowledge through generations.
The families checking colonies together after long days.
The beekeepers relocating swarms instead of destroying them.
The farmers protecting flowering spaces for pollinators.
And the communities beginning to understand just how connected healthy ecosystems are to pollination.

Throughout this campaign, we explored:
• The role bees play in food systems
• Why swarms are misunderstood
• The pressures pollinators face
• How gardens can support biodiversity
• The importance of local ecosystems and responsible practices
• The quiet work happening behind the hives every day

World Bee Day reminds us that even the smallest creatures can have an enormous impact.

Healthy pollinators help create healthy ecosystems.
And healthy ecosystems help support life around all of us.

Today, we celebrate Namibia’s bees, biodiversity, beekeepers, and the families helping protect the future of pollination for the next generation.

For Bees | By Beekeepers | For Namibia
United Beekeepers of Namibia

20/05/2026

This is exactly where change starts.

When children grow up understanding bees, pollinators, nature, and ecosystems, they grow up seeing the world differently. Curiosity turns into awareness, and awareness turns into protection.

Absolutely love seeing schools like Rosewood Academy celebrating World Bee Day and helping the next generation connect with the tiny creatures doing some of the biggest jobs on Earth. 🐝

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

NATIONAL HIVE COUNT and why this survey matters right now.

Namibia’s beekeeping industry cannot grow properly if we do not know the true size of the sector.

Right now, nobody can accurately say:
* How many active beekeepers Namibia has
* How many hives exist nationally
* Which regions are growing
* How quickly the industry is developing

That is a problem.

UBoN is actively working to build a stronger beekeeping industry for Namibia, but to prove growth, attract support, and protect local beekeepers, we first need a national baseline.

Because growth must be measurable.

One year from now, this data helps us answer critical questions:
* Are more Namibians entering beekeeping?
* Are younger generations becoming involved?
* Is beekeeping spreading into new regions?
* Have hive numbers increased?
* Has hive productivity and hive management improved?
* Do we finally have enough industry data to prove Namibia has a viable local honey industry?

This matters more than people realise.

Right now, Namibia’s market is heavily dominated by imported honey from Zambia, South Africa, and China. If we want to protect and strengthen local honey production, we need real numbers that prove local beekeeping is growing and worth supporting.

Without data, the industry remains invisible.

Every hive counted strengthens the future of beekeeping in Namibia.

Please submit your hive numbers today:
https://forms.gle/25onshmDjCjGib6CA

For Bees | By Beekeepers | For Namibia

United Beekeepers of Namibia

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

One more day to go! Make sure you enter the World Bee Day quiz. So many cool prizes up for grabs.

1 Day to go...

World Bee Day is coming!

Test your BEE knowledge by taking our Quiz.
https://go.futuremedia.digital/nova-bee-quiz

United Beekeepers of Namibia has a few AWESOME prizes up for grabs.

19/05/2026

World Bee Day is not only about honeybees.

It is a day to recognise every pollinator helping keep ecosystems alive, including bees, wasps, and many other insects quietly supporting biodiversity across Namibia.

According to entomologist John Irish, who curates the national records of Namibian insects, Namibia is home to 413 recorded bee species, with 77 species found nowhere else on Earth. That makes Namibia a true hotspot of bee diversity.

Our pollinators come in all shapes and sizes, from the large carpenter bee, measuring 25–30 mm long, to the tiny stingless Mopani bee, only 2 mm long, which plays an important role in traditional honey harvesting.

They also include the slimmer red paper wasps and hornets, which are not simply aggressive stingers as many people assume. They play important roles in pollination and natural pest control within ecosystems.

Namibia is home to two recognised subspecies of the African honeybee, Apis mellifera.

These are:
• Apis mellifera scutellata, found across central and northern Namibia and regarded as the country’s dominant honey-producing bee
• Apis mellifera adansonii, often referred to locally as “adonis”, found in the far north and known for being smaller, gentler, and extremely heat tolerant

Our honeybees are tough, intelligent, and deeply connected to Namibia’s ecosystems.

They help pollinate marula, acacia, mopane, devil’s claw, watermelon, pumpkin, and countless indigenous plants that support both people and wildlife. In doing so, they contribute to biodiversity, agriculture, food security, and rural livelihoods across the country.

One of the easiest ways to help protect pollinators is by learning to recognise and understand them before reacting out of fear.

Because most of the time, bees are far more interested in flowers than they are in people.

For Bees | By Beekeepers | For Namibia
United Beekeepers of Namibia

18/05/2026

Children who understand bees protect nature differently

For many children, bees are one of their first real connections to the natural world. And the way they are taught to see them matters.

When children grow up learning only fear, they often disconnect from nature. But when they are taught understanding, respect, and curiosity, they begin to see ecosystems differently.

Our bees are not simply insects flying through a garden. They are pollinators helping support biodiversity, flowering landscapes, agriculture, and food systems across Namibia.

Teaching children about bees creates awareness that can last a lifetime. It encourages observation instead of panic. Respect instead of destruction. Curiosity instead of fear.

And those lessons often grow into a deeper understanding of conservation, ecosystems, and the importance of protecting the natural world around us.

This World Bee Day, we celebrate not only bees, but also the next generation learning to care for them.

For Bees | By Beekeepers | For Namibia
United Beekeepers of Namibia

17/05/2026

How to help bees from your own garden

You do not need a massive farm or a large piece of land to help pollinators. Even small gardens, balconies, courtyards, and outdoor spaces in Namibia can make a difference for African honeybees and other pollinators.

Simple actions can help create safer environments for bees:

• Plant indigenous flowering plants where possible
• Allow seasonal flowers to bloom
• Flowering trees provide plentiful food for bees
• Avoid pesticide and chemical use, try be organic in your gardening
• Leave shallow clean water sources for bees
• Support local beekeepers and local honey
• Create natural spaces instead of removing every wild plant

In Namibia’s dry climate, access to water and flowering plants can become especially important for pollinators during hotter months and drought periods.

Healthy gardens help support healthy ecosystems, biodiversity, and pollination. And sometimes, the smallest changes can have the biggest impact.

For Bees | By Beekeepers | For Namibia
United Beekeepers of Namibia

16/05/2026

The quiet people behind the hives

Behind every healthy hive is a person quietly doing the work most people never see.

• Checking colonies in extreme heat.
• Relocating swarms safely.
• Monitoring hive health.
• Protecting bees during drought.
• Supporting pollination.
• Educating communities.
• Working with nature every single day.

Beekeeping is about far more than harvesting honey.

For many beekeepers across Namibia, it is a responsibility built on patience, respect for nature, and a deep understanding of how important pollinators are to healthy ecosystems.

Bees play a critical role in biodiversity and agriculture, but they cannot protect themselves alone.

This World Bee Day, we also celebrate the people behind the hives, the quiet workers helping protect pollinators, ecosystems, and the future of beekeeping in Namibia.

For Bees | By Beekeepers | For Namibia
United Beekeepers of Namibia