Considered by some as the socialites of Egypt’s exclusive nightlife, Amy, 31; Adam, 25; Timmy, 21; and Waleed (known as Wally), 23, are the minds behind Tazkarty, Cairo Zoom and Yala7wy websites. Their good looks, status in Cairo’s jet setter community and urban British accents make it difficult to believe just how down to earth each are — a far cry from their “playboy”, or in the case of Amy “playgirl”, reputations. In fact, there’s little time for play since success is a 24/7 job. “[We work] 24/7 and don’t have enough time to party every day as people think,” says Adam.

 

 

The brother adds that “socialites in Egypt wake up and do nothing but get ready and beg for that invite [to bars],” whereas the siblings enjoy taking a break from this by hanging out with their family or “going to the cinema, as much as partying.”

 

 

The four grew up and studied in London, returning to their homeland after graduating, save for Timmy. The youngest, he studied at the American University in Cairo and pursued a career as a professional footballer. 

 

 

Even abroad, the siblings have always proudly identified themselves as Egyptian, although none could have predicted their Egyptian reunion would be the first step in establishing their own business comprised of online marketing solutions and unique entertainment websites for Egypt’s internet savvy youth.  

 

 

“After I came from London, I realized there was a phenomenal opportunity, where you have this vast population, which is all online but no one is utilizing [its applications],” says Adam, who according to Amy, is the family innovator with extensive experience in online ventures. (He starting launching websites in London when he was just 16.)

 

 

Tazkarty was launched two years ago, altering how Egyptians book tickets for events and concerts as well as dinner reservations. One of the first of its kind here, the site allows users to find out about events, reserve their tickets and then store that information by registering. The site currently has over 500,000 registered users.

 

 

Adam says the idea came to him a few years ago when he saw just how many people were running around trying to find tickets for the popular Colombian performer Shakira hours before the concert. “You had to know someone to get you tickets,” adds Wally. That there was no central vendor for tickets and event promotions presented an opportunity that Adam couldn’t ignore.

 

 

“I remember at first thinking about the idea then putting it to bed. And then I really went ahead and said: ‘You know what? Let’s do it!” says Adam. “Without any knowledge of how difficult [it is] to actually start programming, we kind of started a small operation.”

 

 

And as Tazkarty began to take shape, so too did the family business. 

 

 

The four Mowafi siblings studied different subjects and professionally they have always carved out their own niche. The idea of establishing a family business didn’t cross their minds until much later in their lives when they realized they all had a vital entrepreneurial trait their father had taught them —  their “incredible work ethic.”

 

 

According to Amy: “In our family, you get what you work for.”

 

 

She is perhaps the best known of the Mowafis thanks to her time as the managing editor of Enigma Magazine and television stint on OTV. She is also the author of Fe-mail: Trials and Tribulations of Being a Good Egyptian Girl, which generated a lot of buzz for its candid glimpse into the secret lives of many Egyptian girls. Wally says jokingly, “We were only known at first as Amy’s brothers.”

 

 

Amy joined the MO4 web company two months ago after leaving her post at Enigma. Although she’s still committed to editing and writing for the magazine, she has a strong belief in her brothers’ ideas and their potential.

 

 

“[Tazkarty] showcases what we are able to do as a company and our capabilities, in terms of digital and online and social media marketing,” she says. “How do I market online in Egypt when there are no online websites that offer that? What we offer is that this is our fun brand and this is the cool stuff we can do and we are a fun, young hip Internet company.”

 

 

It’s true — the minute you enter their firm, you feel an energetic and youthful vibe that the four exude seemingly without effort.

Using the popularity of Tazkarty, the four have managed to attract big name concerts featuring music superstars Kylie Minogue, Julio Iglesias and many others.

 

 

“Internationally acclaimed artists were insisting, even when the basic design was still up, to use Tazkarty.net,” says Adam.

 

 

The siblings may yell, scream and fight, but their family ties are strong. The say the fighting comes from their love for each other and their work that incorporates “all the passion in the world.” They recount some of their fights during meetings or brainstorming sessions, their loud, playful laughter echoing in the room.

 

 

“One second we are talking about business ideas and the other we are talking about each other’s girlfriends,” Adam laughs. “At the end of the day, we are talking about people that have been brought up in the same way, we share the same decency level, same ethics,” says Amy.

 

 

They crack jokes about Wally for being a savvy businessman and “a social butterfly.” Adam and Amy describe him as the sibling often sent out to negotiate deals with members of his social circle. Adam says Wally is the kind of person who would be partying all night but then closes a deal while at the bar. But he’s not the only deal maker. Timmy, who is the quietest of the lot, scored the “We Wood” watches (Italian-made wooden watches, made from recycled wood) contract to market their exclusive products to Egypt’s crème de la crème.

 

 

Timmy is also the one who suggested Tazkarty should book big sports tournaments because it appeals to the “younger crowd, the university crowd.”

 

 

With Tazkarty’s booming success, the Mowafis hope their project will constantly expand. They plan on reinvesting their profits to enhance their brand names in the market.

 

 

MO4 is also the force behind Cairo Zoom, a site where pictures of people partying, dancing and having fun at the top bars and clubs in Egypt are uploaded on almost a daily basis.

 

 

“The idea was to get rid of the concept of being too posed in pictures or seven people standing up like this,” Adam says, striking a fake pose for a future glossy magazine. “Everything is so great and everyone is so tidy, while in the background people are trashed […] We went in there and we changed the culture.”

 

 

However, this isn’t the only purpose of Cairo Zoom. It is also a marketing tool and way to generate hype for elite hangouts.

“Since the thawra [revolution], people are cutting their budgets for print, TV and radio and putting it online,” says Amy. “Here is the problem, they [clients] didn’t have any online platform that targets A-class and the B-class [clients].”

 

 

Reaching their goals wasn’t an easy journey. When the Mowafis decided to expand further, they found competitors trying to smear their reputations and firms badmouthing the siblings to clients. Some have even copied their ideas in hopes of pushing the Mowafis out of the market. 

 

 

“There is a website, that exactly copied Yala7wy, but in Arabic,” Timmy says. The controversial Yala7wy is a “social experiment,” Adam says, allowing Egyptians to publish anonymous messages online that are not censored. The topics range from sex and drugs to politics, with 3,000 users posting per day.

 

 

But these obstacles have not been able to stop the Mowafis — if anything, the challenges have made them more determined to grow.

“No matter how many times you get shut down, you keep at it, you keep delivering. With high consistency, you will get there,” says Amy defiantly. “A big weakness in a lot of businesses in Egypt is quality and consistency, and if you could prove over time that you persistently deliver high quality, you will succeed in the end.”

 

 

To date, the Mowafis are a force to be reckoned with, unlike some of their contemporaries. The Mowafis have also made it a point not to be dependent on their parents’ allowance. Keen on expanding, they’re launching new website Dealwaty, which offers discounts on products and getaways and expect the newest addition to the web family to make it big. 

 

 

But as serious as they are about their booming business, the Mowafis refuse to take themselves too seriously, keeping their youthful enthusiasm at the forefront. bt