Our Story
MEANT TO BEE™ (MTB) was founded in 2021 on a simple belief: the business was never only about buying honey – it was about building beekeepers. This is the story of that belief, and of a company built to empower emerging beekeepers, create sustainable livelihoods in rural communities, and bring authentic South African honey to the world.
A simple
belief
For Drienie, MEANT TO BEE™ was never just about producing or selling honey – it was about creating real opportunity for people while protecting one of nature's most remarkable resources, the bees themselves. South Africa is home to extraordinary beekeepers and some of the finest floral landscapes in the world, yet many still struggle to reach the markets and support a sustainable business needs. She believed there had to be a better way. That belief became Meant To Bee.
In the years since, Drienie has met beekeepers whose determination, hard-won knowledge, and quiet passion have shown her exactly why this work matters. Behind every hive is a family. Behind every harvest is a livelihood. Behind every opportunity is someone determined to build a better future – and that's the story MEANT TO BEE™ keeps trying to tell.
Where we
are now
Today, MEANT TO BEE™ runs a full value chain – identifying the right apiary sites, training the beekeepers who work them, then processing, packaging and bringing premium South African honey to markets at home and abroad. That reach has already carried MTB to international exhibitions and into relationships with buyers overseas.
None of that is measured only in litres sold. What counts more is the number of livelihoods created, the partnerships formed, and the confidence customers place in honey that's genuinely South African. Every hive established, every beekeeper trained, and every bottle produced does more than complete a transaction – it strengthens a rural economy, supports sustainable agriculture, and protects one of nature's most important pollinators.
“When I founded MEANT TO BEE™, it was with a deep reverence for bees, and the belief that honey is a gift. A gift of possibility, embodying the purpose that continues to guide us every day.”
How we
work
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Every varietal has a place
MTB partners with beekeepers across South Africa's most distinctive floral regions – from Cape fynbos to Mpumalanga's eucalyptus forests, citrus orchards, and sunflower fields. Each varietal carries the character of wherever the bees were working that season.
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Traceable, batch by batch
Every batch moves under strict quality assurance, fully traceable from the beekeeper who produced it to the customer who receives it. No blending, no shortcuts – what comes out of the hive is what goes into the jar.
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Built on partnership, not transaction
MTB doesn't simply buy honey – it builds beekeepers, giving every person who joins the journey mentorship, opportunity, and the confidence to build something sustainable. That same commitment is what creates lasting value for customers and the communities around them.
Taste the
result
Every jar is proof of that belief – see what's in the collection now.
Shop the Collection