From a farm village to international highflyer: A Success story

Amer Safaee

"In order to be successful in life, you need to be a calculated risk-taker", These are the words of successful businessman Amer Safaee.

Born to humble beginnings in Daykundi at the start of the 1980s, one of the 43 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the central part of the country most well known for their agriculture and high-quality Almonds, Safaee had greater aspirations than that of a farmer in a poor province and set out to create a very different life and existence for himself.

He studied and completed a bachelor's degree in IT and Technology from and started his first company, Bama Security in Afghanistan in 2005, expanding into an additional 10 countries over a five year period.

Safaee did not want to stop there, he completed his MBA and continued his growth as an entrepreneur and business owner in the IT Security field.

The Bama Group has since expanded into Europe as well, including countries like Germany and the UK.

Living between Dubai, London, and Istanbul, his love of high fashion and fast cars quickly ensured that he got caught up in the fashion industry and most recently, has invested in the beauty and fashion sectors with his company ZAZZ in 5 countries.

He attributes his success to his pure grit in taking business risks. "You cannot be afraid to take a risk, you need to believe in your business idea and take the chance at success," said Safaee in a recent interview. "If you believe that your business will not hurt or damage anyone, then God will fuel more success and bless you with the necessary driver you need to succeed."

He fully believes that hard work is the secret to his success, as he studied business and applied the basic principles to his ideas. Working smartly with well thought out ideas and concepts ensures that success. It does not help to give up prematurely or even when you are risking failure, he speaks of the times when things have not always gone his way, especially with the turmoil in the Middle East being major stumbling blocks to build and grow businesses, allowing himself a few days to mourn the failure and then start up again with new energy and passion.

Never having married or had children, Safaee loves spending time with his pet dogs Mika and Tony in Istanbul when he is home. When trying to relax and switch off from his business world, he prefers to spend his time horse riding, driving one of his luxury cars around town or hitting the high streets on the lookout for the latest Dior or Louis Vuitton must-have item to add to his collection.

Dining out with friends is another passion, feeding his soul with fine foods, and sometimes the odd traditional meal to feed his soul.

What is next on his agenda? "My next target is to have my technology business in 50 countries worldwide by 2025," he says with an assertiveness that makes us believe it will happen for sure!

"Most businesses need what we have to offer and they cannot function without the necessary security protocols in place".

With most companies having an online presence in some shape or form, Safaee believes that the future belongs to those who are ready to solve the problems that most companies have not anticipated they have yet, and this is just the beginning.

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