About SAFE Labs

Research that moves. Stories that reach.

We are a research-driven media company where rigorous analysis and compelling storytelling reinforce each other — Brookings meets documentary; RAND meets YouTube.

The Model

Think tank credibility. Video journalism reach.

Two engines that feed each other: research creates credibility; video creates audience and impact.

Research Division

Original research papers, white papers, and policy briefs. Data analysis and proprietary datasets. Expert commentary and commissioned work for governments, NGOs, and corporates. This is where the intellectual credibility comes from.

Media Division

Documentary-style explainers based on our own research. Investigative video journalism with data-backed narratives. Expert interviews and short-form social content adapted from long-form research. This is how we distribute and monetise that credibility.

The flywheel: research → video → audience → credibility → more commissions → better video.

Abdullah Hassan
Founder & Director
Abdullah Hassan
The Mind Behind SAFE Labs

Quantitative rigour meets real-world intelligence

Abdullah Hassan is a quantitative specialist, AI researcher, and technology entrepreneur operating at the intersection of financial modelling, machine intelligence, and digital asset infrastructure. An alumnus of Deloitte and EY, and founder of two active ventures, he brings rare depth to both the research and application of complex systems.

SAFE Labs is built on the conviction that the world's most important questions deserve both rigorous analysis and compelling storytelling. The African perspective on AI, finance, and geopolitics is underrepresented globally. SAFE Labs changes that.

AI
Ex-Deloitte — Digital Assets & AI (Dubai) IFRS-aligned valuations, climate analytics, tokenisation frameworks
MSc
MSc AI & Mathematical Statistics — University of the Witwatersrand GANs, NLP, advanced time-series, quantitative modelling
EY
Quantitative Analyst & AI Developer — Ernst & Young XVA models, SA-CCR, IFRS 2/9/13, derivative valuations
Personal Site LinkedIn
Differentiation

Why SAFE Labs is different

Primary data

We conduct original research, not just commentary. Every finding can become a video — not just a PDF nobody reads.

African perspective

Global topics told from a Southern lens, with data. Underreported, high-demand — African tech, finance, and policy on the world stage.