Ignas interest in beekeeping started when he was ten years old (in 2000) when he first learned the skill from his grandfather.  His grandfather started farming with honeybees in 1972, and was one of only three beekeepers in the Singida at the time – solely for honey production purposes, because nothing was known about pollination services at that time.

Ignas recalls that he would transport his hives on his bicycle, and sell honey to the community while doing his other chores round. Ignas states he has always wanted to concentrate on honey production rather than doing both honey and pollination services, as he firmly believes in healthy colonies and that the honey humans take off should only be the excess after what the colony needs. 

At the age of 21, with approximately 35 hives, Ignas separated his beekeeping business from his uncle’s business and then grew his business to bigger than that of his uncle’s within four years.