Born in Dar es Salaam, Shivi's roots can be traced back to Zanzibar.

Before launching his film career, Shivji worked as a journalist and radio host.

[3] Shivji launched his career with two short fiction films, Shoeshine (2013) and Samaki Mchangani (2014).

The filmmaker's prize-winning feature directorial debut T-Junction (2017) opened the prestigious Zanzibar International Film Festival.

In 2021, he released Vuta N’Kuvute (Tug of War), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.