Female Baristas Reshape Mogadishu's Cafe Culture, Creating Jobs for Somalia's 70% Under-35 Population
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 22
Female Baristas Reshape Mogadishu's Cafe Culture, Creating Jobs for Somalia's 70% Under-35 Population
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 22
Summary
23-year-old Saabiriin Hassan and other female baristas are helping drive Mogadishu’s cafe boom, turning coffee shops into new workplaces and social spaces in a city long associated with conflict.
Improved security and returning diaspora investment have fueled new malls, commercial centers and cafes, while women entering barista roles are pushing back against a trade once seen as men-only.
Beydan, which started as a home bakery in 2018, now runs more than 10 branches across Somalia, employs 136 people and says women make up over 40% of its workforce.
21-year-old Yusra Abdifatahi, recently promoted to branch manager at Beydan, says the job helps pay her university fees, support her family and build skills for her goal of starting a business.
Barista courses are now spreading in Mogadishu, with Hassan training mostly female students as coffee culture expands alongside Somalia’s broader hospitality and youth-employment ambitions.