Dar es Salaam. Patience, perseverance, and hard work are the pillars of success in business. This is the key message from veteran businessman and Chairman of Bakhresa Group of Companies, Said Salim Bakhresa, to young entrepreneurs who often face early setbacks and feel discouraged.
Bakhresa, one of Africa’s leading businessmen, said success does not come overnight or by luck, contrary to what many expect. He reminded young people that the journey of life, especially in business, is long and full of challenges that cannot be avoided.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the program Fahari Yetu aired on UTV on Friday, January 30, 2026, the 78-year-old entrepreneur shared how he started from humble beginnings and rose to the peak of business success.
Bakhresa said his family’s difficult circumstances forced him to leave school at the age of 14 and venture into business to support himself.
“I started selling urojo and mishkaki. It was a small food business, but I believed in it. Even when I left Zanzibar and moved to the mainland, I continued with the idea of opening a restaurant, though things were not easy at all,” he recalled.
From that modest start, Bakhresa has built a business empire comprising more than 17 companies operating in Tanzania and nine other African countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and South Africa.
He said the secret to his success was not luck but a deliberate decision to persist despite the obstacles he faced.
“Nothing worth achieving comes easily, and challenges are part of everyone’s life,” he said.
“Life is a long journey. Problems are inevitable. You cannot start today and expect to succeed tomorrow. Young people should not expect overnight success. Progress comes step by step. What matters is effort and the determination to keep moving forward,” Bakhresa emphasized.
He recalled that when he entered business, the environment was not friendly to private entrepreneurs because many economic sectors were state-run. Yet, that did not stop him from pursuing his dream.
“I started business during a very tough period. I tried many ventures, and there was no small business I didn’t attempt. Many of my efforts failed. The beginning was truly difficult because almost everything I tried seemed to hit a wall,” he said.
Despite repeated failures, Bakhresa said he never considered giving up or turning back. Instead, he chose to learn from his mistakes and double his efforts.
“I never lost heart. I told myself the journey is long and requires extreme patience. I went through very difficult times, which is why I tell young people that reaching this point is not a matter of one or two days,” he said.
For Bakhresa, work was the top priority. He dedicated almost all his time to his business, foregoing comfort and leisure.
“The key is to work hard. I worked around the clock. I had no form of leisure. I would go from work to home. At one point, I did this for three consecutive months without stepping away from my work schedule. I gave my all, and God granted me success,” he said.
However, Bakhresa acknowledged that alongside his personal efforts, government support has been important in the growth of his companies.
He said a favorable investment environment and business-friendly policies have enabled his companies to expand both domestically and abroad.
He admitted he never imagined his business would grow to its current size, but his hard work and readiness to seize opportunities contributed greatly to his success.
To young people starting or continuing their entrepreneurial journey, Bakhresa urged patience, discipline, hard work, and faith as indispensable tools on the path to genuine success.
