What type of careers come naturally to Somali people?

[Dibleyy]

I was just talking to someone recently about the state of the country, and my friend made a good point as to why we are having trouble rebuilding.

And that’s because Somalis since the beginning outsourced a lot of their hard labour. I know we were artists and poets but what else did we do these past thousand years? I can’t quite find a definitive answer.

And that takes me back to the present, aside from an artistic inclination. What other talents do we possess? What career field do present day Somalis thrive in?

 

[Homerlilian2.0]

Somalis are very business minded people . Seen it first hand how uncles coming in droves from America and nfd Kenya and investing into real estate in Nairobi.


somalis were even involved in camel ranches as far as Tanzania or how South Sudan president had to negotiate with Somali businesses men to lower fuel prices.

Somali businessmen agree to lower fuel price for one week - Eye Radio

The Somali Business Community in South Sudan have agreed to reduce fuel price from 2,200 to 2,000 pounds per a liter, in a meeting with the Managing Director of the Nile Petroleum Corporation on Tuesday. NilePet boss, Engineer Bernard Amour and the representative of the Somali community, who own...

www.eyeradio.org

 

[Dibleyy]

Somalis are very business minded people . Seen it first hand how uncles coming in droves from America and nfd Kenya and investing into real estate in Nairobi.


somalis were even involved in camel ranches as far as Tanzania or how South Sudan president had to negotiate with Somali businesses men to lower fuel prices.

Somali businessmen agree to lower fuel price for one week - Eye Radio

The Somali Business Community in South Sudan have agreed to reduce fuel price from 2,200 to 2,000 pounds per a liter, in a meeting with the Managing Director of the Nile Petroleum Corporation on Tuesday. NilePet boss, Engineer Bernard Amour and the representative of the Somali community, who own...

www.eyeradio.org

Yes! Good point, I forgot about that one!

 

[sums20]

Probably nursing or just medicine in general for the women and also teaching is quite big in my family as well idk if this is widespread though

 

[Basra]

I was just talking to someone recently about the state of the country, and my friend made a good point as to why we are having trouble rebuilding.

And that’s because Somalis since the beginning outsourced a lot of their hard labour. I know we were artists and poets but what else did we do these past thousand years? I can’t quite find a definitive answer.

And that takes me back to the present, aside from an artistic inclination. What other talents do we possess? What career field do present day Somalis thrive in?

 

[AbrahamFreedom]

Definently not any kind of leadership role as I am currently a senior leader in a massive multinational corporation with staff in two countries and realize why Somalis have very little presence in leadership in the west and why they almost all will fail as leaders everywhere. It also makes sense why their country is the way it is. It's very hard mental work, requires emotional intelligence for everyone, calm demeanor, soft skills, kissing superiors' asses, collaboration, and strategic and long-term outlook (all areas that Somalis do very, very poorly in). It's made me appreciate white guidance and white male leaders since they excel at leadership.

I think Somalis work well in positions that require fewer interactions with fellow staff and autonomy and dealing with vulnerable people in need like health care, the disabled or daycare. Somalis do very well in these positions since vulnerable people are very protected and well looked after in Somali culture. Somalis won't feel threatened by them and allows them to feel total control. Somalis are at their human best among the misakeenta.

 

[Garaannabad]

-My speech now-
Profoundly, somalis are good at whatever career they choose to do. But unquestionably business field was mostly made for the Somali people, if I say, ever since their beginning.

 

[Garaannabad]

Definently not any kind of leadership role as I am currently a senior leader in a massive multinational corporation with staff in two countries and realize why Somalis have very little presence in leadership in the west and why they almost all will fail as leaders everywhere. It also makes sense why their country is the way it is. It's very hard mental work, requires emotional intelligence for everyone, calm demeanor, soft skills, kissing superiors' asses, collaboration, and strategic and long-term outlook (all areas that Somalis do very, very poorly in).

***𝗹𝘁'𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽.***
GIF not working for me surprisingly yet unsurprisingly, But I'm throwing up right now... 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀

 

[Barkhadle1520]

I was just talking to someone recently about the state of the country, and my friend made a good point as to why we are having trouble rebuilding.

And that’s because Somalis since the beginning outsourced a lot of their hard labour. I know we were artists and poets but what else did we do these past thousand years? I can’t quite find a definitive answer.

And that takes me back to the present, aside from an artistic inclination. What other talents do we possess? What career field do present day Somalis thrive in?

Ganacsi and agriculture until the 16th century, then we became nomads but there still was some trade, I noticed Somalis are still great at ganacsi today even with limited resources

 

[Homerlilian2.0]

Ganacsi and agriculture until the 16th century, then we became nomads but there still was some trade, I noticed Somalis are still great at ganacsi today even with limited resources

You mean to tell me Somalis only started picking up pastoralism during the 16th century ?????

 

[Unicorn]

Ive seen one trade somalis do regardless of which country they live in and thts business. They have a talent for it. One job thts looked down on is farming and being a blacksmith. Other than tht somalis dont like having a boss telling them wht to do thts why they love being their own boss.

 

[Dharbash]

Farming

 

[Idilinaa]

Any careers. Somalis have historically engaged in a wide range of economic activities, and that diversity continues today. From the earliest times, they have been herders, farmers, fishermen, traders, scholars, physicians, and artisans.

It’s important to clarify that pastoralism , not nomadism in the vague sense was and still is the backbone of the economy. It’s a demanding livelihood requiring constant adaptation and intimate environmental knowledge.

In the present day, Somalis are active in nearly every major sector. One major example is the construction industry, which remains one of the biggest drivers of economic activity in Somalia. Over 80% of the workforce in this sector is made up of local Somalis.

Yeah, Somalis clearly "look down" on trades and manual work , that's why trade schools across Somalia are exploding with enrollments, why local youths are flocking to technical training, and why the construction industry is one of the biggest economic drivers in the country.

Somali graduates turn to technical skills to get jobs

(ERGO) - It was only after Somali university graduate Mohamed Kafi Ali took a hands-on technical skills course that he

radioergo.org

You even have diaspora "Hooyo Mataalos" going back to Somalia and enrolling in technical schools, not to sip lattes at coffee shops but to actually pick up honest skills and get to work.


I have also shown in a separate thread how 90%+ of manual laborers in Somalia’s construction firms are locals, not foreigners.

Somali construction workers in Mogadishu

Strengthening vocational education and training in Somalia

The project focuses on improving the public vocational education and training system in terms of its governance, quality and access.

www.giz.de

Somali construction workers in Garowe/Puntland

You can literally see this for yourself, and visit various construction company websites where they show videos and galleries of their laborers and team in action.

Gallery - Albashid Constructions

albashid.com

Buruuj Construction and Real Estate – Buruuj Construction and Real Estate

Buruuj Construction and Real Estate

buruuj.so

It's just local Somalis of all stripes doing the work for the most part and the ones who actually opt for unskilled labour low wage work the most is actually Somalis of poorer less well off backgrounds that are desperate for employment opportunities to support themselves with, while the construction managers, technician builders and civil engineers managing those sites come from more educated skilled backgrounds and in many cases graduates of universities or vocational schools.

Manual labour, trade jobs and construction work is so popular that not only are there many local owned companies popping up supplying people job opportunities but also the construction industry is driving economic growth

Construction Sector Driving Somalia’s Economic Recovery - AMISOM

Mogadishu, April 21, 2016 - A group of young men crush boulders with sledgehammers under the sweltering mid-morning sun in Wadajiir district. Not far

amisom-au.org

Although investments are mostly driven by local capital formation and diaspora investment(Not Foreign Investment, Loans or state funding) much of it is concentrated in the construction and urban infrastructure sectors

The idea that Somalis are hate manual labour or trade jobs is completely baseless.

The number of engineering and construction firms operating across the country attests to the high demand for technical and engineering skills.

Real estate investment, which some have mentioned, doesn’t exist in a vacuum it depends on builders, architects, engineers, and planners. Somalis not only invest in real estate but also own and operate construction and engineering companies, both within Somalia and in neighboring countries like Kenya.

Furthermore, hard labor is still central to daily life for most. Across regions, Somalis are actively engaged in livestock herding, agricultural work, fishing along the coast, and even gold and salt mining in specific areas all of which require physical effort and local expertise.

It's also worth noting that while business and trade are visible and important parts of the Somali economy, most people are actually producers they work in primary industries that supply goods and services.


The outsourcing of labor whether historically (i.e the use of enslaved people or servants) or today has more to do with efficiency and economic pragmatism than any cultural aversion to labor itself. It was, and still is, a profit-driven decision, not an indicator of what Somalis are or aren’t willing to do.

 

[Idilinaa]

In the present day, Somalis are active in nearly every major sector. One major example is the construction industry, which remains one of the biggest drivers of economic activity in Somalia. Over 80% of the workforce in this sector is made up of local Somalis.






The number of engineering and construction firms operating across the country attests to the high demand for technical and engineering skills.

Real estate investment, which some have mentioned, doesn’t exist in a vacuum it depends on builders, architects, engineers, and planners. Somalis not only invest in real estate but also own and operate construction and engineering companies, both within Somalia and in neighboring countries like Kenya.

Cool fact. Female engineers are at the center of this construction boom that is currently happening.

Somalia’s Female Planners and Engineers Are the Backbone of the Urban Economy - The Voice of Africa

The Voice of Africa is an online magazine that captures African People,African Stories and personalities. The Voice of Africa champions

thevoiceofafrica.com

 

[Homerlilian2.0]

Cool fact. Female engineers are at the center of this construction boom that is currently happening.

Somalia’s Female Planners and Engineers Are the Backbone of the Urban Economy - The Voice of Africa

The Voice of Africa is an online magazine that captures African People,African Stories and personalities. The Voice of Africa champions

thevoiceofafrica.com

View attachment 365849

I remember watching a a Scandinavian lander called Dj subeer . He opened a real estate company in hargeisa and almost all of his real estate company Employees were females

 

[Dibleyy]

Any careers. Somalis have historically engaged in a wide range of economic activities, and that diversity continues today. From the earliest times, they have been herders, farmers, fishermen, traders, scholars, physicians, and artisans.

It’s important to clarify that pastoralism , not nomadism in the vague sense was and still is the backbone of the economy. It’s a demanding livelihood requiring constant adaptation and intimate environmental knowledge.

In the present day, Somalis are active in nearly every major sector. One major example is the construction industry, which remains one of the biggest drivers of economic activity in Somalia. Over 80% of the workforce in this sector is made up of local Somalis.






The number of engineering and construction firms operating across the country attests to the high demand for technical and engineering skills.

Real estate investment, which some have mentioned, doesn’t exist in a vacuum it depends on builders, architects, engineers, and planners. Somalis not only invest in real estate but also own and operate construction and engineering companies, both within Somalia and in neighboring countries like Kenya.

Furthermore, hard labor is still central to daily life for most. Across regions, Somalis are actively engaged in livestock herding, agricultural work, fishing along the coast, and even gold and salt mining in specific areas all of which require physical effort and local expertise.

It's also worth noting that while business and trade are visible and important parts of the Somali economy, most people are actually producers they work in primary industries that supply goods and services.


The outsourcing of labor whether historically (i.e the use of enslaved people or servants) or today has more to do with efficiency and economic pragmatism than any cultural aversion to labor itself. It was, and still is, a profit-driven decision, not an indicator of what Somalis are or aren’t willing to do.

Thank you for explaining this! I think my mindset of Somalis having an aversion to labor came from my trip to Borama, a lot of the construction work there was outsourced to other madows and Hindi/paki ppl. As soon as I landed Hargeisa Walahi there were at least 10 guys in line waiting for a visa.

Why is there such a difference in how both regions operate? Why does places like Hargeisa and borama outsource when most are out of a job?

 

[Barkhadle1520]

You mean to tell me Somalis only started picking up pastoralism during the 16th century ?????

Yes

 

[Idilinaa]

Thank you for explaining this! I think my mindset of Somalis having an aversion to labor came from my trip to Borama, a lot of the construction work there was outsourced to other madows and Hindi/paki ppl. As soon as I landed Hargeisa Walahi there were at least 10 guys in line waiting for a visa (they don’t give each other space either lol back to front ).

From what I’ve seen, most of the head positions like managers, architects, and engineers are run by Somalis. The majority of the laborers are also locals, working either as permanent contractors or on daily wages. When foreign workers are brought in more recently, it’s usually because local companies need to meet specific client demands that require specialized skills not yet widely available in the local workforce. It’s less about outsourcing and more about bridging the current skills gap.

In fact, Somalis are doing the jobs just alongside some foreigners brought in to support specific technical tasks or help transfer knowledge.

We’re seeing the same pattern in Garowe. One local company director summed it up well:

"Iftin currently employs 17 foreigners and 10 locals on permanent contracts. When a project is under construction they hire more locals on daily wages"

That ratio speaks volumes. The use of foreign workers is likely to shrink over time as Somalia invests more in vocational and technical education that directly responds to market needs. We’re not avoiding labor, we’re building up the skills to do it all ourselves.

 

[NidarNidar]

View attachment 365820

 

[NidarNidar]

Thank you for explaining this! I think my mindset of Somalis having an aversion to labor came from my trip to Borama, a lot of the construction work there was outsourced to other madows and Hindi/paki ppl. As soon as I landed Hargeisa Walahi there were at least 10 guys in line waiting for a visa.

Why is there such a difference in how both regions operate? Why does places like Hargeisa and borama outsource when most are out of a job?

Had the opposite, mostly Somalis working, maybe it's just that specific company, I barely seen foreigners when I was there.