Africa continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s largest honey-producing regions, but the continent still captures only a fraction of the global honey trade as weak processing systems, fragmented supply chains and certification barriers limit export growth.
On World Bee Day, observed annually on May 20 and established by the United Nations in 2017, new data from the Food and Agriculture Organization highlights both the growing importance of Africa’s beekeeping sector and the structural challenges preventing producers from fully benefiting from rising global demand for natural and traceable food products.
According to FAO estimates, Africa produced 255,111 tonnes of natural honey in 2024, accounting for approximately 12.63% of global output estimated at 1.98 million tonnes. This made Africa the world’s fourth-largest honey-producing region behind Asia, Europe and the Americas.
The continent’s growing production capacity reflects the rapid expansion of beekeeping activities across East Africa, where governments and rural communities increasingly view apiculture as a strategic source of income, food security and environmental conservation.
Ethiopia remains Africa’s largest honey producer by a wide margin. The country produced nearly 86,000 tonnes of honey in 2024, supported by an estimated 10 million beehives, including around 7 million currently in active use. Ethiopian authorities have also adopted a national strategy for the honey sector covering the 2024–2032 period as part of efforts to modernize production and improve export competitiveness.
Tanzania ranked as the continent’s second-largest producer with approximately 32,000 tonnes, followed by Angola with 23,400 tonnes, Uganda with 21,635 tonnes and Kenya with 19,462 tonnes.
Other African countries contributing to continental production include Rwanda, Madagascar, Senegal, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and the Central African Republic.
Despite this strong production base, Africa remains a very small player in global honey exports. FAO data shows the continent exported only 5,605 tonnes of honey in 2024, generating revenues of about $14.2 million. Globally, honey exports reached nearly 828,000 tonnes and generated approximately $2.3 billion during the same period.
This means Africa accounted for less than 1% of global honey export revenues despite producing more than one-tenth of the world’s honey supply.
Industry experts attribute this imbalance to several longstanding structural constraints affecting the sector. Honey production across much of Africa remains dominated by traditional and small-scale systems with limited access to modern processing infrastructure, quality control systems and international certification standards required by premium export markets.
The FAO has repeatedly noted that many rural beekeepers lack technical training, processing equipment and adequate storage systems, making it difficult to maintain the hygiene and quality standards demanded by international buyers, particularly in the European Union and other highly regulated markets.
The organization also highlighted that the fragmented nature of honey production across dispersed rural communities complicates quality control and supply chain coordination. Most international buyers require large and consistent supply volumes, which often forces producers to organize into cooperatives or structured producer networks to meet export requirements.
“Due to lack of knowledge and training, and because of poverty and the absence of modern processing infrastructure, it is difficult for beekeepers to meet the hygiene and quality levels required for commercial sale,”the FAO noted in a recent sector analysis.
Yet Africa’s honey sector also holds a significant competitive advantage. According to the FAO, African honey generally contains lower levels of contamination from heavy metals and antibiotic residues because more than 80% of production originates from communal or forest-based areas where agrochemical use remains limited and industrial bee treatment practices are uncommon.
This positions African honey favorably at a time when global consumers are increasingly demanding natural, organic and traceable products.
Beyond exports, beekeeping remains an important economic activity for millions of rural households across Africa. Honey production is widely classified as a non-timber forest product and provides alternative income opportunities while also supporting biodiversity conservation and pollination services critical for agriculture.
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As governments intensify efforts to diversify rural economies and strengthen climate-resilient agricultural systems, the honey sector is attracting growing attention from policymakers, development agencies and private investors. Experts say improving certification systems, investing in modern processing infrastructure, strengthening producer cooperatives and expanding market access could help African countries capture a larger share of the rapidly growing global honey market.
With demand for organic and sustainably sourced products continuing to rise worldwide, Africa’s honey industry may hold significant untapped potential if structural bottlenecks can be addressed and value chains modernized.
