Crafting Pure Honey in Chimanimani
Discover premium raw honey from biodiverse forests.
Crafting Pure Honey in Chimanimani
Discover premium raw honey from biodiverse forests.
About Ungweme Honey
About Chimanimani
A Landscape of Ancient Biodiversity
The Chimanimani Mountains form a continuous, ancient landscape, stretching from the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe into the western mountains of Mozambique’s Manica Province. Here, nature flows uninterrupted—indigenous forests, Miombo woodlands, wild herbs, and high-altitude flora weave together a thriving ecosystem largely untouched by industrial agriculture.
Protected areas like Chimanimani National Park in Zimbabwe and the Chimanimani Nature Reserve in Mozambique are part of this seamless wilderness, home to rare plants, pristine rivers, and wildlife found nowhere else. This biodiversity is not cultivated—it is inherited.
Our bees roam freely across this living mosaic, moving with the rhythm of a land that knows no borders. From forest canopy to highland meadow, they gather nectar in a landscape that embodies unity and freedom, an ecosystem that understands itself, thriving in continuous harmony. The honey they produce reflects this connection—deep amber, layered in flavour, naturally aromatic.
Ungweme Honey is not plantation honey. It is forest honey, born from a borderless, ancient landscape.
Our Story
From the Heart of the Chimanimani Wild High in the mountains of Chimanimani, where mist settles over ancient forests and wild blossoms open to the morning sun, Ungweme Honey begins its journey.
We produce raw, cold-extracted wild forest honey shaped by biodiversity, guided by community stewardship, and crafted for those who value purity.
Every jar carries the essence of indigenous woodland ecosystems — unheated, unadulterated, fully traceable.
Pure Forest. Ethical Source. Global Standard.
Beekeeping Supplies for Every Need - Ungweme Honey
OUR COMMUNITY
The Ungweme People: Guardians of Heritage and Land
For over a century, the Ungweme people—also known as the Chikukwa community—have safeguarded their culture and ancestral lands despite colonial borders imposed by the Anglo‑Portuguese Treaty of 1891. Today, 10 villages lie in Zimbabwe’s Chimanimani District, and 5 are in Mozambique, yet the Ungweme remain one united community—resilient and forward‑looking.
🌱 From Degraded Land to Thriving Ecosystems
The Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Organisation (CELUO), evolved from CELUCT, is at the heart of the Ungweme’s environmental revival. By combining permaculture practices with Indigenous knowledge, CELUO has restored watersheds, revitalized creeks into year‑round water sources, and transformed previously degraded land into productive, sustainable farms.
A cornerstone of this regenerative approach is Ungweme Honey—ethically produced by the very people who protect the forests. This honey isn’t just a product; it is a symbol of ethical land stewardship. Through careful forest management and community‑led conservation, the Ungweme protect vital ecosystems that support beekeeping, support biodiversity, and sustain local livelihoods.
🐝 Ethical Honey + Forest Protection
Every jar of Ungweme Honey contributes directly to conservation goals:
- Sustainable livelihood: Beekeeping provides income while enhancing forest health.
- Forest conservation: By maintaining and expanding forest cover, the community preserves habitats and water sources.
- Responsible practices: This work counters destructive land uses that degrade ecosystems and threaten community wellbeing.
In the wider region, authorities in Manica Province, Mozambique have taken decisive steps against environmental degradation caused by poorly regulated mining. In 2025, the Mozambican government suspended all mining licences in Manica Province, citing severe river pollution and environmental harm from mining activities that affected water sources and public health, and launched a review to improve oversight and environmental protections. (SAVANA)
The Ungweme’s community‑first approach stands in contrast to exploitative practices seen elsewhere: by prioritizing ecosystem health, clean water, and long‑term wellbeing, they show how ethical production like Ungweme Honey can support both people and planet.
📚 Preserving Knowledge and Culture
While CELUO restores the land, the Chikukwa Research Trust (CRT) preserves the community’s intellectual and cultural legacy. Led by local researcher‑practitioners, CRT documents Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and the deep bond between the Ungweme and their environment.
CRT Community Library Highlights:
- Academic Support: A quiet study space and rare ZIMSEC textbooks for Form 4 & 6 students.
- Cultural Archive: Preserving traditions, oral histories, and local plant knowledge.
- Ubuntu in Action: Elders teaching youth the values of communal care and stewardship of the land.
🌟 A Model of Resilience and Regeneration
Through the combined efforts of CELUO and CRT, the Ungweme have:
- Restored their environment—protecting forests, waterways, and fertile soils.
- Preserved heritage—documenting culture, stories, and Indigenous wisdom.
- Built sustainable livelihoods—with initiatives like Ungweme Honey, linking ethical production to ecological protection.
Their story reminds us that true prosperity comes when communities care for their land and their people. Every purchase of Ungweme Honey supports this vision—empowering a community to defend its soil, its forests, and its future.
Value Creation
Ethical Honey with Local Impact
Ungweme Honey is structured around shared value.
We work with local villagers to:
- Provide sustainable apiculture training
- Create seasonal and permanent employment
- Diversify rural household income
- Incentivise forest preservation
- Keep value addition within the community
Honey production offers income without deforestation.
Standing forests become economically valuable.
Ecological health becomes financial resilience.
Revenue generated contributes directly to:
- School fees
- Healthcare access
- Improved food security
- Household infrastructure
This is not charity.
It is dignified, sustainable trade.
Our Process
Sustainability
From Hive to Jar
Our apiaries are located in protected forage zones, free from pesticides and industrial contamination.
We follow strict integrity standards:
- Natural wooden hives
- No antibiotics
- No synthetic chemicals
- Harvesting only fully capped comb
- Cold centrifugal extraction
- No pasteurisation
- No ultrafiltration
Every batch is laboratory tested for purity and quality.
Every jar is traceable.
What flows from the hive is preserved exactly as nature created it.
Sustainability
Sustainability
Our Partners: CELUO & Chikukwa Research Trust
Ungweme works in close partnership with CELUO and the Chikukwa Research Trust (CRT), two community-rooted organisations in the Chimanimani district of Zimbabwe whose work demonstrates the power of locally led, regenerative development.
CELUO (Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Organisation), formerly known as CELUCT (Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Community Trust), has been working with communities since 1990. Over the decades, it has played a central role in supporting community-led organisation, sustainable livelihoods, and local enterprise development. While the name has evolved, its core mission remains the same: to empower communities through inclusive, locally driven initiatives that create lasting economic and social impact.
Working alongside CELUO, the Chikukwa Research Trust (CRT) brings a strong focus on ecological restoration and knowledge-sharing. Together, these organisations have supported communities to restore degraded landscapes, improve food security, and build resilience to climate change. Their work is grounded in agroecology, permaculture, and indigenous knowledge systems, with practical initiatives including watershed protection, reforestation, soil regeneration, and farmer-to-farmer learning.
Regeneration in Practice
Chikukwa is now recognised as one of the world’s most successful community-based permaculture landscapes. Through long-term commitment to regeneration, the area has been transformed into a thriving, biodiverse ecosystem that supports both people and nature.
Ungweme Honey operates within this living system of regeneration.
Bees enhance pollination across food crops and indigenous plants.
Biodiversity strengthens the richness and complexity of the honey.
Forest conservation supports long-term productivity and ecological balance.
Healthy forests produce premium honey.
Premium honey funds community resilience.
Community resilience protects forests.
A Shared Vision
Together, the Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Organisation (CELUO) and the Chikukwa Research Trust (CRT) represent a powerful model of community-led development—where environmental restoration, economic opportunity, and social wellbeing are deeply interconnected. Communities are not passive participants, but active leaders shaping their own futures.
Ungweme’s partnership with the Chikukwa Ecological Land Use Organisation (CELUO) and the Chikukwa Research Trust (CRT) is built on this shared vision: to support regenerative livelihoods, protect ecosystems, and create lasting value that benefits both people and the planet.
For UK & International Buyers
Ungweme Honey is export-ready and aligned with international standards.
We provide:
- Raw wild forest honey
- Full traceability (Hive-to-Jar)
- Laboratory verification
- Ethical sourcing documentation
- ESG-aligned production model
Our honey reflects the health of its origin.
When consumers choose Ungweme Honey, they support:
- Indigenous biodiversity
- Rural economic empowerment
- Regenerative agriculture
- Ethical global trade
Beekeeping Classes
Our beekeeping classes are perfect for anyone looking to learn more about beekeeping. From beginner classes to advanced techniques, we have something for everyone.
Contact Us
We love our customers!
Let us know how things are going for you and your bees! Send us any questions or requests for new products.
Ungweme Honey
