Tanzanian beekeeper: I started honey empire with 10 hives
Asilia Products & Equipment’s Supplies Limited, Founder & Director Reginald Sana sorts through some of the Asilia African Honey from Tanzania on display at the Agricultural Trade Fair on October 03, 2026.
When Reginald Saria left the Institute of Accountancy Arusha in 2016, he had an ambition to turn his family’s small beekeeping activity into a commercial enterprise. Armed with a degree in procurement and logistics management, he saw an opportunity to build a business around a product that had been part of his family’s activities while generating income and supporting environmental conservation.
The journey into apiculture, however, was not straightforward. Mr Saria spent almost four years looking for financial support, approaching banks and government offices with a business plan for an enterprise many potential financiers knew little about. Most financial institutions remain reluctant to lend to agribusiness start-ups and even established farmers, fearing potential losses because many agricultural activities are considered informal.
