South African honey: A medicinal marvel under threat

Key topics: Local honey, propolis, and venom show powerful antimicrobial effects.South African propolis outperforms global standards in TB research.Unregulated honey market undermines trust and public health benefits.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.The auditorium doors will open for BNIC#2 on 10 September 2025 in Hermanus. For more information and tickets, click here..By Kerry Lanaghan.South African honey is far more than a sweetener for tea or toast. It’s a potent natural medicine, a casualty of market manipulation, and a symbol of a quiet scientific revolution. As global interest in natural health remedies rises, a growing body of South African research is uncovering the extraordinary potential of local honey, propolis, and even bee venom to combat drug-resistant bacteria, support gut health, and treat chronic infections. But there’s a catch - finding the real thing is harder than it should be.The problem with honey purityMany South Africans are rightly sceptical about the honey they buy. At the same time, labels may claim “pure” or “local,” but no strong regulations or enforcement exist to stop adulterated honey, often diluted with sugar syrup or imported, irradiated stock, from being sold as the real deal. Unscrupulous dealers exploit the market by bulking out their honey with cheaper substances, undermining trust and damaging the industry’s reputation.Experts advise avoiding imported honey, which is continuously irradiated - meaning it has been exposed to radiation that destroys the very compounds that make honey medicinal. Instead, shoppers should look for keywords like “non-irradiated” and “pure South African honey” on labels or buy directly from trusted local beekeepers or markets.Several simple home tests can reveal a honey’s purity: real honey won’t dissolve easily in water, doesn’t soak through paper towels, and will burn on a wick. But these are not foolproof. For certainty, lab testing is best.Bees in crisisThe decline of bee populations in South Africa compounds the problem. Pesticides and habitat loss are taking their toll. While citrus crops are self-pollinating, most fruits and berries depend on bees for cross-pollination. Thus, bee colonies' health is closely tied to the resilience of agriculture and food security.Local science, global promiseSouth Africa’s apiarists and researchers are turning heads globally. At the 2025 South African Apiarists Symposium, Prof. Sandy van Vuuren and her team from Wits University presented groundbreaking research demonstrating the medical power of South African honey, propolis, and bee venom. Their findings suggest that bee products could help solve some of the world’s toughest medical challenges, especially those involving antibiotic-resistant infections.Healing the gut: Fighting H. pyloriHelicobacter pylori is a bacterium that contributes to painful gastric ulcers and is notoriously hard to treat. According to a report by The Bee Effect, in lab tests, a third of South African honey samples outperformed Manuka honey, considered the global gold standard, against H. pylori. The antimicrobial effects increased when paired with probiotics like Lactobacillus acidophilus, offering a powerful, gut-friendly alternative to conventional antibiotics.Propolis, the sticky “bee glue” used in hives, showed even more promise. More than half the tested samples outperformed the best Brazilian propolis, a benchmark in global natural medicine. The key appears to lie in unique local compounds like pinocembrin and pinobanksin.Importantly, these natural treatments preserved beneficial gut bacteria, unlike standard antibiotics, which can eliminate the microbiome and cause reinfection.Battling tuberculosisSouth Africa carries one of the heaviest tuberculosis burdens in the world, with over 280,000 new cases in 2023. Alarmingly, drug-resistant strains are on the rise. In response, scientists tested local propolis against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and found some samples performed better than antibiotics. When combined with rifampicin, a front-line TB drug, they produced an actual synergistic effect, offering hope for more effective, accessible treatment.Bee venom: The next frontierBee venom from Apis mellifera scutellata, the local honeybee species, showed remarkable antimicrobial properties. It was particularly effective when combined with mupirocin, a common topical antibiotic. Together, they tackled stubborn skin pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus. Toxicity tests confirmed the venom’s safety at therapeutic doses.Cryogels, wound care, and respiratory reliefResearchers have even developed a honey-infused cryogel dressing for wounds. This sponge-like material absorbed fluid from wounds and provided continuous antimicrobial protection - ideal for rural or under-resourced health settings.Meanwhile, a pilot study is analysing volatile compounds in South African honeys, such as linalool and lilac aldehyde, to explore their impact on respiratory health. These compounds may one day serve as chemical markers for quality assurance or targeted therapy.Conclusion: A hive of healing potentialWhat South African bees produce is nothing short of extraordinary. Honey, propolis, and venom from local hives possess powerful and unique medicinal properties that are only beginning to be understood. As research deepens and awareness grows, these bee products could play a key role in transforming modern medicine, especially for countries like South Africa, where access to reliable healthcare is uneven.But this potential depends on consumer awareness, responsible sourcing, and protecting the very bees that make it all possible. So next time you reach for a honey jar, think beyond sweetness. Think healing, heritage, and a hive full of answers.

South African honey: A medicinal marvel under threat

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