Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau, popularly known as Kaffy, is not just Nigeria’s most prominent dancer and choreographer; she is a force of reinvention and resilience, quietly building a thriving ecosystem around her craft.
With a career spanning over two decades, Kaffy has transformed from a misunderstood young woman with a dream into a trailblazer whose name is now synonymous with professionalism, creativity, and structure in the dance industry.
“It was very difficult when I started. When I said I was a dancer, people would look at me and ask, ‘What else do you want to do with your life?’ It didn’t look like a great path,” she recalled.
Yet she stayed the course. Today, Kaffy runs a growing organisation that not only trains dancers but also offers a blueprint for creatives struggling with structure and sustainability in their careers.
“One of the problems of the creative industry is structure. We are dishing out, people are consuming, but the average creative—whether a photographer, dancer, or stylist—often lacks a business model that allows them to evolve and scale.”
This realisation led her to build a brand extending beyond performance. Through personal funding—she notes that over 80% of her journey has been self-sponsored—Kaffy developed the Kaffy Kreative Agency, a platform that serves as both a service hub and a talent incubator.
“Yes, I’m still looking for investors. The vision is so new that people don’t understand it until it becomes something. Even banks don’t believe a dancer can repay a loan because they don’t see the structure. But now, the Kaffy brand is a unicorn model for others to emulate.”
At the heart of her mission is empowerment. According to her, creatives must become entrepreneurs within the space of their talent, balancing art with business.
“There is life behind everything people see. Photographers become fathers, dancers become mothers. They need to know how to scale and structure their lives. That’s the gap I’ve been able to fill.”
Over the years, she has deliberately built a system that functions with or without her physical presence.
“Every time people hired me, they would say, ‘If you’re not there, we don’t want anybody else.’ But the brand has grown beyond me choreographing. I’ve had to delegate. Whether it’s editing or directing, others can now deliver those services.”
This mindset has scaled her operations and shifted industry standards.
“I broke that chain and set a new benchmark. I started collecting ₦500,000 over 15 years ago. Today, that’s a decent starting point for younger talents.”
She also redefined how dancers present themselves.
“When I started doing proper photoshoots, most dancers couldn’t afford it. But once they saw it on my brand, they began to emulate it. That’s the power of setting a standard.”
Beyond performance, Kaffy sees dance as a tool for development and transformation.
“There’s been massive growth. Dancers are now influencers. Brands now see the value of dance in advertising and film. It’s being used in wellness, education, and therapy.”
She cited a government-approved school program using dance to aid learning and cognitive development.
“Dance helps expand children’s cognitive reasoning, and this has been infused into the educational system. When people develop themselves, they can empower themselves, increasing productivity. These are the things that help nurture people and improve the economy. Partnering with organisations and government parastatals can amplify this impact.”
To maintain clarity between her public persona and corporate entity, Kaffy has separated both.
“When you want Kaffy at your event, that’s the personal brand. When you want creative solutions, that’s Kaffy Kreative Agency. Both are strong brands, but they serve different purposes.”
In an industry where relevance can be fleeting, Kaffy’s secret is service and integrity.
“What has sustained the brand is the hunger to see lives improve. There’s never an end game for that journey because human lives evolve. I keep putting work out there that connects with humanity and I keep serving. The crown is not too big for me to work, grind, and uphold brand integrity. When you hire my brand, you can sleep knowing the job will be delivered.”
Despite her demanding schedule, Kaffy remains a hands-on parent to her two children.
“My kids ask questions a lot. I have a professor in the house, Professor Sean. They are very sound, and I am intentional about parenting. Even as toddlers, they went everywhere with me. I hardly left them with nannies.”
For her, presence matters more than time spent.
“I am an advocate of quality time over quantity time. Sometimes a parent is around but not present. What matters is being intentional about every moment with them. Now that they are entering their teenage years, I remind myself that there’s no perfect blueprint for parenting. There’s a place for God.”
“I thank God for their cocoon that I am embedded in as a parent to nurture and raise them.”
Kaffy’s story is a testament to visionary grit—of building a brand rooted in passion, discipline, and an unyielding desire to empower others.
