Abu Zakariya emerged from the Almohad governing structure of Ifriqiya. His father, 'Abd al-Wahid b. Abi Hafs, had held the province with unusually autonomous powers while remaining loyal to Almohad leadership. As Almohad authority weakened, Abu Zakariya transformed this provincial inheritance into an independent political foundation.

In 1236–37, Abu Zakariya proclaimed the independence of Hafsid Ifriqiya from Almohad sovereignty. His act created a durable dynasty centred on Tunis and established a new political order after decades of Almohad intervention, Almoravid resistance, tribal mobilization, and regional fragmentation.

Abu Zakariya's authority depended not only on formal separation from the western caliphate but also on practical coalition-building. He cultivated the friendship of nomadic tribes and turned their military influence toward stable government. Before declaring independence, he had conquered as far as Algiers, although the western limits of Hafsid rule remained contested.