Mokgadi Mabela is the queen bee of organic honey in SA

The name Native Nosi comprises two words, taken from the English and Basotho languages, "nosi" meaning honey bee. Seeing that Native Nosi seeks to produce and sell honey, wax and by-products that are organic and indigenous, the name is the best fit to complement the legacy my father built and I plan to continue.

I am a third-generation beekeeper and Native Nosi is a family business: Dad, the expert, the farmer, the mentor. Hubby, the handyman, the delivery guy, the superman. Sister, the saleswoman, the cheerleader, the deputy treasurer. Me, the boss lady, the all-rounder.

My role as a beekeeper is different depending on the season. In summer, days are spent doing hive inspections, moving bees, adding supers (extra layers) to the beehive, harvesting honey, doing extractions and packaging honey. Winter is more about monitoring and evaluation - looking for new secure sites for hives. There isn't a lot of harvesting in winter, because beekeepers want bees to keep their honey in order for them not to starve as there isn't much food around for them.

Bees have never been scary for me, although I know I need to practise caution when I work with them. Bees are extremely intelligent, they have an in-built GPS because they never get lost, they always know where home is. Each bee has and knows its role. And they are meticulous in executing their tasks, they build the most accurate hexagonal wax cells to store honey and larvae. They are also very clean, they keep their hive clean and ensure order when they work.

How does a bee make honey? Simply put, bees feed on nectar from the plant, swallow it, their stomach turns it into honey, they spit it out into the wax cells and fan it with their wings to evaporate the water content. Once they are satisfied that the honey is "ripe", they seal the cell.

Not all honey is the same. There is raw honey and irradiated honey. Raw honey is as pure as the bees made it. Irradiated honey is honey that has been heated at a very high heat in order to destroy any diseases that may be in the honey. This is normally done with honey from outside the country. This process is not necessary for South African honey.

Native Nosi honey is special as we give the consumer exactly what the bees made. We don't tamper with the product in any way. So every time you order our honey, you are likely to get a different looking, tasting and smelling honey depending on which honey was ready for harvesting and which crop farm it comes from. Flavours are also seasonal.

To purchase the best honey try to source honey from your local, reputable beekeeper, which is most likely good honey that is local, raw and fresh. Honey, just like wine-making, is seasonal. Each harvest will be influenced by what the bees fed on to make the honey.

South Africans consume more honey than we produce and that's why the balance is imported. The quality of imported honey is not always as good as local honey, and often sourced at a cheaper rate than what South African beekeepers can offer. Consumers and retailers end up opting for the imported honey due to the price and this puts pressure on local beekeepers.

Winning a Food XX Award recently I was recognised for my contribution as a female farmer in the food industry whose focus is on giving back, sustainability and the future of food. It makes me realise that people recognise and appreciate what we do in our little corner, that our baby steps are significant, that our work has a footprint in the farming and economic landscape of the country. Hilary Biller

• Native Nosi honey is delivered nationwide.