The Collaboration

Zaahied Sallie

After working almost 20 years in a corporate environment, Zaahied felt a great need for a significant shift towards something that spoke more passionately to his authentic self. A great fan of the arts, a book enthusiast, the son of a writer and the husband of a journalist and editor, gravitating towards writing was a natural transition, but no less daunting. Plunging into and re-designing a new life was nurtured in his heart many years before. Courage, faith and a deep yearning for meaning led him to retire from corporate life on 30 August 2015 and establish Red Kufi Books. He co-wrote his first children’s book with his wife titled We Love to Play Pray.

Saaid Rahbeeni

Saaid, a university graduate, could not resist the call to draw. Art has always been his first love, but the route to realising it was via a Political Science degree. He has been a successful artist and illustrator since changing course and entering the industry 28 years ago. With a passion for illustrating children’s books, comics or generally anything that involves the expressive human figure, Saaid’s work has drawn big clients to call on his talents. Saaid has a varying adaptive drawing style and specialises in cartoons, illustrated manuals, comics and stories, storyboarding and concept illustration for theme park designs. His clients include Penguin, Macmillan, Oxford, Cape Town Science Centre and many other corporates. Saaid is currently the Managing Director of Rahbeeni Studios based in Cape Town, South Africa.