{"id":225771,"date":"2025-06-19T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.internetsociety.org\/?page_id=225771"},"modified":"2025-08-27T18:00:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T18:00:13","slug":"beekeepers-in-rural-zimbabwe-embrace-technology-to-unlock-progress","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.internetsociety.org\/our-impact\/stories\/beekeepers-in-rural-zimbabwe-embrace-technology-to-unlock-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Beekeepers in Rural Zimbabwe Embrace Technology to Unlock Progress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Beekeepers in Rural
Zimbabwe Embrace
Technology to
Unlock Progress<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n
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Fadziso Mudzingwa sighed in frustration. It was June 2024, the middle of winter in Zimbabwe, and the low temperatures were killing her bees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was tired, too\u2014she\u2019d spent the day trekking between her home and her hives in the forest, checking them frequently in the hope of saving both the colonies and her barely profitable honey business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite her protective gear, Fadziso had been stung twice, and she was falling behind in her other tasks. The sun was setting, and her children were waiting for dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She didn\u2019t know it yet, but everything was about to change for the better. She was about to take part in a pilot project in her hometown, Marondera, led by the Internet Society Zimbabwe Chapter, learning to monitor hive conditions remotely and in real time using a mobile app connected to smart sensors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This technology would truly make a difference\u2014one year later, Fadziso\u2019s work is much easier and her hives are thriving, as is her business. While she sold just 50 liters of honey in 2024, before the project began, she has already produced 130 liters in the first half of 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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An Industry in Need of Solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Beekeeping can be profitable in Zimbabwe, especially as people commonly use honey and other apiary products\u2014beeswax, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly\u2014for medicinal purposes. The industry is also a positive force for the environment, acting as a catalyst for forest renewal and biodiversity conservation through plant pollination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet things weren\u2019t always positive for Marondera beekeepers, most of whom faced challenges similar to Fadziso\u2019s. Chamunorwa Rupiya also struggled to juggle multiple responsibilities. \u201cAs the owner of a tuck shop, I needed to pay someone to fill in for me while I was away inspecting my hives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many struggled to find time to sell products. \u201cI spent most of my days tending to my bees,\u201d said John Chivamba. \u201cI worried about them constantly. Then, when I had the chance, I would go and sell honey on the road leading to Harare.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when poor conditions or predators harmed their colonies, the resulting drop in yields meant greater financial hardship for beekeepers.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Monitoring Beehives Remotely<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In late 2024, the Zimbabwe Chapter launched a project designed to solve these challenges and safeguard the beekeepers\u2019 livelihoods as well as the community\u2019s food security. Partnering with Shift Organic Technologies and the Harare Institute of Technology, they developed an Internet of Things (IoT) solution comprising hive sensors and a user-friendly mobile app. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beekeepers can use this app to check factors such as temperature, humidity, and bee activity at a glance, from anywhere, without having to open up their hives or disturb the bees. The data collected can also predict potential health issues and environmental changes, enabling farmers to take proactive measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project, called IoT for Apiary Analytics, included training for the beekeepers. The 20 initial participants not only learned to use the technology but also received instruction in advanced techniques, such as protecting hives from winter temperatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe trainers taught us which flowers to plant around our hives so our bees can always get their favorite pollen,\u201d said Fadziso. \u201cWe also learned to set up water points to maintain the hives\u2019 natural humidity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Technology Changes the Game<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Being able to monitor their hives remotely has revolutionized beekeeping for Fadziso, Chamunorwa, and John. \u201cNow, instead of hiking into the forest first thing every morning, I simply look at my phone for hive updates,\u201d said Fadziso. \u201cI can check on them in minutes, not hours, so I have more time for my children, household chores, and developing new products like floor wax.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This IoT solution has been a game changer! I can now keep an eye on my bees while selling honey on the road. I make more money and enjoy peace of mind.\u201d <\/div>