Somalia

Somalia ranks first in Africa and seventh globally for mobile data affordability, with a thriving private telecom sector that emerged after the civil war. The country has about 8 million mobile connections (~45% penetration). Hormuud Telecom leads the market with ~3.6 million subscribers (nearly 40% share), headquartered in Mogadishu and the first to launch 5G in 2024. Telesom (dominant in Somaliland, ~14% share), Somtel (Dahabshiil Group, operating across all three regions), and Somnet are also key players. USSD is the core channel for balance inquiries, data subscriptions, and mobile financial services, with Hormuud's EVC Plus serving as Somalia's de facto payment standard.