Every morning at six, Saabiriin Hassan slips on her apron as she takes her place behind the counter at Cplus Cafe in the heart of Mogadishu. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air, but it is Hassan’s ever-present smile that draws the attention first.
It stays with her every move – from grinding beans and steaming milk to chatting with customers. Hassan is among the first female baristas in Somalia, serving coffee and helping a new cafe culture take root in a capital city once only known for conflict.
“It started out of curiosity in 2020,” says the 23-year-old. “I realised there were no female baristas in the city. I decided to learn the craft and took a three-month course. Since then, I fell in love with the art of coffee-making.”
Somalis have long been known for their love of camel-milk tea, but as modern coffee shops spring up across Mogadishu, social habits are being reshaped and new spaces are created for young people.
At the heart of this transformation are young female baristas such as Hassan, challenging gender norms by entering a traditionally male-dominated industry.
“At the beginning, people criticised me for doing this job,” she says. “I was told this is a man’s job. Some even said nobody would marry a woman who serves men in public. But I did not listen to them.
“I know my values and what I want in life, so I only focus on my goals,” Hassan says.
Six years into her career, her persistence has paid off. The attitudes that once discouraged her are shifting and more young women are now working as baristas. As security has improved in Mogadishu, members of the Somali diaspora have returned, while fear and fighting have given way to the construction of new shopping malls, commercial centres and cafes.
This cafe boom offers more than coffee, however. It brings with it job opportunities for young people – more than 70% of Somalia’s population is under 35 – in a country facing many challenges, not least high unemployment. The cafes also create spaces where artists, designers and entrepreneurs can meet and exchange ideas.
Coffee may have been discovered in this part of east Africa – the wild beans were first found in neighbouring Ethiopia – but amid the proliferation of coffee shops in Mogadishu, many Somalis remain loyal to their sweet, spicy and milky tea. Somali tea is traditionally served piping hot, and those trying coffee for the first time request their cappuccino extra hot.
Sometimes they like to mix it with camel-milk tea to make their own version of coffee. The trend of mixing is so common that there is even a word for it, “soo dakhar”, meaning to add a shot of espresso.
Yusra Abdifatahi, 21, has been working as a barista at Beydan since 2023, one of the pioneering coffee shops in the capital. She was recently promoted to branch manager. “I now have more responsibility, looking after daily operations, quality control and customer satisfaction,” she says. “I also make coffee to cover the main barista.”
Abdifatahi is a part-time student and says the job pays her university fees and helps her support her family. She adds that as a result of the work, her social skills and confidence have improved, too. “I now have clarity of what I want to do in life, and I believe I am on the right track to achieve my dream of having my own business,” she says.
Beydan, which describes itself as a “modern pan-African coffee company”, began as a home bakery in 2018 in Mogadishu. Today, the company has more than 10 branches across Somalia and employs 136 people, with women making up more than 40% of its workforce.
“When we opened our store in the Taleh neighbourhood in 2019, there was no other shop in the area,” says Najiib Abdullahi, founder of Beydan. “It was an empty street.”
Other businesses, including restaurants and designer boutiques, were soon drawn to this once-quiet stretch and it has now become one of Mogadishu’s busiest streets, known locally to many as Wadada Beydan, or Beydan Road.
“We are proud to pave the way for others to return and invest in our country,” says Abdullahi. “Our vision is to expand across Africa, and soon we hope to open new branches in Nairobi and beyond.”
As demand has increased, colleges and training centres in Mogadishu are now offering barista training courses. When not behind the counter at Cplus Cafe, Saabiriin Hassan works as a trainer in one of these centres.
“Most of the students are women,” she says. “And that motivates me to continue doing this job and make a difference in the lives of Somali youth. We have come a long way, and I am glad I am playing a small part in this change.”
With more than 70,000 followers on TikTok, Hassan shares her daily routine and tips on the art of coffee-making. Unlike other vocational trades such as plumbing, she says working as a barista carries a certain cachet among young Somalis.
“Apparently,” she says, “it is not like one of those odd jobs young people despise. A lot of people ask me how they can join and where they can train.
“I see a bright future in Somalia’s hospitality sector, and I hope to open my own cafe sometime, Insha’Allah [God willing].
“I would encourage young women to acquire as many skills as possible. And never listen to those who say you can’t do it.”
