By Cecilia Chiluba/Zambia/Lusaka
Zambia’s honey industry is witnessing a surge in domestic demand as health-conscious citizens increasingly abandon sugar, yet the sector is grappling with a severe supply shortage.
Industry insiders warn that foreign investors are pricing out local traders, particularly in the honey-rich North-Western Province, creating a crisis for indigenous entrepreneurs.
Lusaka-based entrepreneur Billy Mwinkeu noted that market demand for honey has reached record levels, described as 100% high, as Zambians seek to avoid the diseases associated with sugar.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Mr. Mwinkeu stated that consumers are turning to honey for its perceived ability to provide the physical strength needed to survive and become unstoppable.
Despite the booming demand, a critical shortage of honey is being felt across the country.
Mr. Mwinkeu attributed the shortage to a massive influx of foreign traders who are entering the North-Western Province of Zambia and aggressively outbidding local buyers.
“It has now become a thing whereby this market has been given to even foreigners who are not Zambians and they are just coming in. They get into the fields because now they know honey is coming from North-western Province. They will try by all means to get into North-western Province of Zambia and hike prices,” he stated.
He explained that while a bucket of honey might typically cost K1,000, foreigners are offering K1,500, effectively kicking Zambian owners of the product out of the market due to a lack of capital.
As demand for honey continues to rise, Mr. Mwinkeu warned that without timely intervention to boost production and protect local players, shortages could worsen—affecting consumers, small businesses, and the long-term sustainability of Zambia’s honey industry.
He urged the government to provide enough capital and liquidity to allow local brands to compete with the volumes required by large retailers.
“The government should give us the opportunity to have enough liquidity or enough finances in order for us to finance this business so that it can grow,” Mr. Mwinkeu said.
The entrepreneur further called for the protection of local fields by ensuring that Zambians from honey-producing regions are given the first opportunity to trade and supply.
