[1][2][3] Elbagir was born in Khartoum to a Sudanese journalist and politician father, and to a publisher and business person mother.

She moved back to London at the age of 16 and there, she acquired her A levels and graduated from the University of St Andrews with honours after studying Social Anthropology.

[4][5][6] Elbagir started her journalistic experience by participating in student publications during her studies at St Andrews.

[8][9][10][11][12] Elbagir is well-known for having launched the #SudanUnderSanction online media campaign in which Sudanese women and men discussed the effects of the trade sanctions against Sudan.

She criticised the beginning steps of the Sudanese institutional transition to democracy, stating, "For the [first] tangible political progress of decades to exclude women is ridiculous.