Livelihoods from local-level commercialisation of alate termites as food and feed in Thulamela Local Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Insects have traditionally been harvested by individuals for domestic use within their households, but over the past three decades, increased demand for these insects has led to their commercialisation. The aim of this study was to document the process involved in the commercialisation of alate termites from raw material harvesting to trading and evaluate the importance of trade for poverty alleviation and livelihoods. Data supporting this study was collected between November 2023 and February 2024 through interview-administered questionnaires (with open- and closed-ended questions) and observations. A total of 71 respondents were interviewed either at their working spaces or at their homes in Thohoyandou and Sibasa towns, as well as Mukula and Tshidzivhe villages. The interviewed respondents were selected using a nonprobability purposive sampling method. Closed-ended questions were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), while open-ended questions were analysed using thematic content analysis. The study found that alate termites were harvested for both household consumption and commercial purposes. Commercialisation involves a complex process including harvesting, processing, marketing and trading to make income. It was also found that alate termites are not only an important source of nutrition and food security, but they also provide a readily accessible source of income which plays a critical role in poverty alleviation and household livelihoods. This is in support of Sustainable Development Goals 1 (no poverty), 2 (zero hunger), and 3 (good health and well-being) adopted by United Nations General Assembly in 2016.