WCBA Management Committee
The WCBA management committee comprises six to eight members as stipulated in the Constitution and is elected at the Annual General Meeting. All members of the committee serve a two-year term and are eligible for re-election should they be available once their term has lapsed.
Requirements for members to be elected to the committee are specific skills to fulfil the duties of the position and a personal commitment to do so. All members of the committee exercise their functions in an honorary capacity, therefore, no remuneration is granted. At times, travel costs and other compensation may be considered depending on funding availability. The committee meets once a month and members may not miss two consecutive meetings without proper notice.
Among the duties of the committee are: include, but not limited to the following:
- Carrying out, as far as possible, the resolutions of the General Assembly;
- Making decisions on all general matters and issues of interest for the local apicultural sector;
- Fulfilling respective portfolio duties in serving the WCBA.
Achmat Kazie
Chairperson; Finances; Recruitment; Events; Media
Achmat Kazie brings a twenty year finance background in the NGO sector to his passion for beekeeping. Beginning with a single hive in 2021, his quest for pure honey led to the establishment of The Bee Inspired Company. Intrigued by the bees’ industriousness, he quickly expanded to over thirty colonies. His commitment to purity and innovation earned him recognition, with numerous awards at the Africa Regional Apimondia event in Durban in 2023. Achmat’s journey into beekeeping opened doors to the potential of beeswax and propolis. By doing some thorough research, he discovered their myriad benefits and now produces a diverse range of products. He advocates for maximizing the value-added potential of beeswax and propolis, emphasizing their health benefits and untapped versatility.
Herman Brink
Vice Chairperson
Co-treasurer (with Achmat Kazie); Pollination; Events; Recruitment
Herman Brink is an apiarist who was born to a fruit-farming family in Ceres in the Western Cape. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Management at Stellenbosch University.
In search of broader horizons, he invested in growing various logistical and transport related fields and projects post 2000s, with specialities in perishable products, packaging and cold-chain management.
He believes that a successful business rests on a foundation of honesty and trustworthy connections Secondly, a successful business requires a disciplined workforce and resilient ethos, and thirdly, he maintains and wishes to preserve forage that is essential for bees to thrive.
Whilst employed, Herman worked as a national logistics manager, senior production manager, eventually culminating in the establishment of his ongoing registered company.
His focus has shifted to fulfilling the position of co-owner of a commercial beekeeping company which is centred on pollination services of blueberries, stone fruit and deciduous fruit, as well as seed yielding specific crops around the Western Cape. He also produces honey under the trade names of ‘My Dad’s Honey’ and ‘Bokkeveld Pure Raw Honey’ Pty Ltd.
Karen Loubser
Administrative duties; Social media; Events; Recruitment
Karen Loubser has been involved with beekeeping since 1990 where she worked side by side with her husband, Pieter Loubser. Building a business in beekeeping that grew from being hobbyists to commercial honey sales. She oversaw maintenance as well as did hive inspections and cropped honey during the times her husband was away, working as an expat in the oil and gas industry. Karen manages the administration, bottling and marketing of their honey at Pieter Loubser Byeboerdery. Karen is also actively involved in the quality control of honey during their participation in competitions. As a published short story writer, she is interested in media and promoting the image of the West Coast Bee Industry. Currently she is taking a course in Apitherapy under the guidance of Dr. Stefan Stângaciou of Romania.
Johan van As
Pollination; Events; Training; Recruitment
Pieter Loubser
Bee products; Authenticity; Honey competitions; training; Recruitment; Events
Pieter Loubser grew up in the West Coast town of Saldanha Bay.
He was introduced to beekeeping by his father and his uncle, Pieter Loubser (Duin), who was the first commercial beekeeper in the area. Pieter started with 30 hives in 1990 as a hobbyist, eventually developing into a full-time commercial honey producer. Today, he serves clients across the country with diverse types of West Coast honey under the brand “Hi Bee- We Talk Bee.”
His expertise has earned him prizes both locally and internationally at prestigious platforms such as NAMPO and The National Honey Show in the UK. Having worked as a marine technician and later as an expat in the oil and gas industry, Pieter used his technical background to hand-build most of the equipment for his honey room himself.
This practical, hands-on attitude is highly valued by the beekeeping community. Pieter frequently shares his knowledge of bee-box manufacturing, wax rolling, and honey extraction through field days and by mentoring upcoming beekeepers. His dedication earned him the nomination for Beekeeper of the Year 2024–2025 by the Western Cape Bee Industry Association (WCBA). Deeply committed to the purity of his product, Pieter possesses a broad knowledge of the West Coast biome and identifies local flora by their traditional names—a passion reflected in the high-quality honey his apiaries produce.
Jeandre Voges
Theft and vandalism, fires. floods and prevention, Recruitment and Events.
Charles Salmon
Liaison: Western Cape Department of Agriculture; Training and Mentoring; Forage; Pollination; Training & Mentoring; Theft and Vandalism; Urban Beekeeping
Charles Salmon currently works as a Senior Agricultural Advisor for the Western Cape government’s Department of Agriculture, specialising in beekeeping.
Charles’s journey with bees started when he was a child as his father was also a beekeeper for 21 years. He started his own beekeeping enterprise 27 years ago and is still a part-time beekeeper, having gained excellent knowledge about beekeeping and pollination of fruit and vegetable seed over the years.
As beekeeping is his passion, he furthered his studies in the bee industry, which consisted of a BTech followed by a Masters in Agriculture with an emphasis on honeybee pollination in the production of onion seeds.
He is currently very involved in a variety of aspects of the organised bee industry in the Western Cape, in particular pollination, bee forage, the development of bee projects, beekeeping training and also representing the Department of Agriculture in the industry.
James White-Phillips
Media; Events; Training and Mentoring.