Built for the African Photographer, by Africans.
We're a team of Somali and East African engineers, designers, and photographers building the software our community has needed for a decade.
Our mission
Photographers in Africa deserve world-class tools.
For too long, photographers in Mogadishu, Hargeisa, and Nairobi have had to bend foreign software around mobile-money payments, intermittent internet, and Af-Soomaali clients. The result? Hours wasted every week, lost revenue, and a brand experience that doesn't match the quality of the work.
Sawirka exists to close that gap. We build the platform we wished existed when we started shooting — one that respects local payments, local languages, and the realities of running a creative business across the Horn of Africa.
What we believe
Four values guide every decision.
Local First
Every feature is designed with our African studios in the room. EVC Plus and Af-Soomaali aren't add-ons — they're defaults.
Privacy Matters
Your photos and your clients' data belong to you. We never sell data, never train AI on your work, and never share without consent.
Community
We invest in the photographer ecosystem — workshops, grants for young photographers, and free plans for students.
Simplicity
Software should disappear. We obsess over every click, every load time, and every line of copy so you can focus on shooting.
The team
Built by people who get it.
Engineers, photographers, and operators across Mogadishu and Nairobi.
Ibrahim Hassan
Co-founder & CEO
Former product lead at a major East African fintech. Lifelong amateur portrait photographer.
Sahra Abdi
Co-founder & CPO
Design lead with 10 years at studios in Nairobi and Dubai. Owns the photographer experience end to end.
Omar Jama
Head of Engineering
Built mobile-money rails at Hormuud. Cares deeply about software that works on a 3G connection.
Layla Mohamed
Head of Community
Wedding photographer turned operator. Runs our workshops, grants, and creator partnerships.
Our journey
A short history of Sawirka.
2024
Founded in Mogadishu
Ibrahim and Sahra sketch the first version of Sawirka in a café on Maka Al Mukarama Road.
Q1 2025
First 100 photographers
Private beta with 100 studios across Mogadishu, Hargeisa, and Nairobi. Galleries shipping daily.
Q3 2025
EVC Plus integration goes live
First photography platform with native EVC Plus and eDahab checkout. Payment time drops from days to seconds.
2026
Public launch
Sawirka opens to every African photographer. Af-Soomaali UI ships as the default for Somali studios.
As featured in
- Hiiraan Online
- Somali Magazine
- The East African
- TechCabal
- Saxafi Daily
Join our journey.
Whether you want to ship your first gallery or partner with us, we'd love to hear from you.