Ethiopia turns overlooked beeswax into a growing source of income

Ethiopia is Africa's leading honey producer, with millions of beehives across the country. But inside every hive lies another valuable product that was once largely overlooked — beeswax.

For many beekeepers, wax was traditionally treated as waste because the returns were too low to justify the effort of collecting and selling it.

"It was very cheap, and we would often throw it away because the price was not worth the effort of taking it to market. But now it is no less important than honey. We collect it and keep it with care, and it is earning us additional income in some cases even more than honey. We used to sell a kilo of wax for 200 to 300 birr; now it is more than 1,500 birr ($9.35), depending on quality," said beekeeper Wasihun Temesgen.

The growing value of beeswax is being driven by rising domestic demand. Once used mainly for export, the product is increasingly being used in Ethiopia’s domestic industries, including soap, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

"Previously there was little local use of wax; it was only exported. But now local demand is growing significantly, as it is being used to produce soap, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. That demand has now reached an industrial scale," sais Tesfaye Baye a beeswax producer.

Despite the growing interest, Ethiopia’s beeswax sector remains largely underdeveloped. The country produces an estimated 5,000 tonnes of beeswax annually, but market data indicates that only a small fraction reaches international markets.

Under the government’s Yelemat Tirufat initiative meaning "the Bounty of the Basket"  launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed four years ago, Ethiopia has expanded the use of modern beehives, more than doubling their number and increasing the country's honey and beeswax production capacity.

Agriculture officials say the shift from traditional to modern beekeeping methods is key to unlocking more of the sector's potential.

"We are producing a significant amount of beeswax for domestic as well as export purposes. But we can produce even more as a country because when we transform traditional beehives into modern hives, the amount of beeswax increases. Even though we are prioritizing honey production, we are also supporting beeswax," said Tsigereda Fekadu, an advisor at Ethiopia's Ministry of Agriculture.

With improved beekeeping practices, rising domestic demand and greater production capacity, Ethiopia hopes beeswax will become an increasingly important part of its agricultural economy, strengthening its position in the global honey and beeswax market.