While he had a clear talent in art, Afifi was incredibly close to studying Medicine instead, until an artist and art teacher at the College of Fine Art in Khartoum saw his portfolio. Afifi enrolled and graduated from the Extra-Mural College with a specialisation in painting. He researched cultures around the world, and found that symbols and motifs were common and important features in all cultures, which heavily inspires his work. With his love for research, Afifi finds his work to be constantly changing as he learns more about the world around him.