Somali telecoms, internet and media companies: directory
Somali phone, internet and media companies, with founding year, head office, owner where public, and source.
Ganacsiyada Soomaalida
Somali businesses
Somali companies, sector by sector: telecoms, money transfer, banks, trade, shops, construction, transport, power and water, farming, services, tech start-ups and Somali firms abroad. Each entry gives what the company does and where, with its source.
Telecoms and internet
EVC Plus: Hormuud's mobile money service
EVC Plus in facts: what it is, when it started, the 2021 licence, user numbers, the GSMA certification, links to banks and the Waafi app, and its use for aid payments.
WAAFI: the Somali mobile money app and card
WAAFI in facts: the 2021 launch by Hormuud, what the app does, the companies behind it, the 2024 Waafi Mastercard card and how it fits with EVC Plus.
Zaad: Telesom's mobile money service in Somaliland
Zaad in facts: the 2009 launch by Telesom, how it was built, merchants and salaries, the dollar and money changers, usage figures, currency exchange and the 2024 GSMA certification.
Sahal: Golis Telecom's mobile money service in Puntland
Sahal in facts: launch by Golis Telecom, how to register and what it does, how customer money is held, its use for local taxes in Puntland, and its certifications.
eDahab: the Dahabshiil group's mobile money service
eDahab in facts: who owns it, how it links to Dahabshiil and Somtel, the 2018 Somaliland shilling rule, the 2018 launch in Mogadishu, and its links with banks.
Hormuud Telecom: Somalia's largest phone and mobile money company
Hormuud Telecom in facts: founding, owners, EVC Plus and WAAFI, network coverage, cables, licences, jobs and its foundation.
Telesom: Somaliland's largest phone company and the maker of ZAAD
Telesom in facts: founding in Hargeisa in 2002, its owners, the ZAAD mobile money service, users, leadership, links to Hormuud and Golis, and where sources differ.
Golis Telecom: Puntland's largest phone company and the Sahal mobile wallet
Golis Telecom in facts: founding in Bosaso in 2002, coverage, Sahal mobile money, Xogmaal, the Kaaftoon bank service, interconnection and links to Hormuud.
Somtel: the Dahabshiil phone company, eDahab and the DARE1 cable
Somtel in facts: founding, Dahabshiil ownership, eDahab mobile money, the DARE1 cable, the 2024 5G launch, partnerships and market share.
SomCable: the fibre internet company of Somaliland
SomCable in facts: founding by Mohamed Said Guedi in 2010, the Djibouti to Berbera fibre, LTE and fibre-to-the-home firsts, size and links to Djibouti.
Money transfer companies
Somali money transfer companies: directory
Somali money transfer companies: the Central Bank of Somalia's licensed firms, Somali-run firms licensed in Kenya and firms in the UK, with founding year, base and source.
Dahabshiil: the largest Somali money transfer company
Dahabshiil in facts: how it began, its size, its bank and telecom interests, its regulators, and the 2013 Barclays case.
Al-Barakat (Al-Barakaat): the Somali money and phone company shut in 2001
Al-Barakat in facts: its founding in 1987, size by 2001, the US and UN listing after 9/11, what the 9/11 Commission found, the delistings and the relaunch.
WorldRemit and Zepz: the money app founded by Ismail Ahmed
WorldRemit in facts: its Somali founder Ismail Ahmed, founding in 2010, the link to ZAAD, funding rounds, Sendwave and Zepz, and regulators' findings.
Amal group: Amal Express, Amal Bank and the 2020 to 2021 audit
The Amal group in facts: Amal Express and Amal Bank, licences, leadership, the GI-TOC report on arms payments and the Central Bank audit, and where sources differ.
Kaah Express and KIMS: the money transfer firm and its microfinance arm
Kaah Express and Kaah International Microfinance Services in facts: licences, the 2014 launch, branches, clients, awards, goals, and the separate Kaah Electric company.
Tawakal Express: money transfer company based in Garowe
Tawakal Express in facts: head office, reach, its TPLUS app and SomBank, its US partner Banana Pay, and how studies of the remittance trade describe it.
Iftin Express, Juba Express and Taaj: three Somali money transfer firms
Iftin Express, Juba Express and Taaj in facts: where each is registered and licensed, how a 2013 survey of aid agencies describes them, and the 2020 Bosaso study.
Banks, insurance and Islamic finance
Somali banks, insurers and microfinance firms: directory
Somali banks, microfinance institutions, takaful insurers and stock exchanges, in one table each, with founding year, head office and source.
Somali takaful companies: FISO, Takaful Africa and the licensed insurers
Somalia's takaful (Islamic insurance) companies in facts: FISO, Takaful Africa, the Central Bank's register of licensed operators, what they insure, and the 2025 insurance law.
Salaam Somali Bank: Somalia's first bank since 1991
Salaam Somali Bank in facts: founding in 2009, DEEQTOON mobile banking, the first cash machines, branches, Islamic finance products, drought insurance, cards and awards.
Premier Bank: the Islamic bank that brought Mastercard to Somalia
Premier Bank in facts: founding and licence, the 2015 opening, Mastercard and Visa, branches in Mogadishu, Hargeisa and Baidoa, Premier Wallet, SWIFT transfers and its startup fund.
International Bank of Somalia (IBS Bank): founding, share sale and branches
IBS Bank in facts: incorporation in 2013, the 2014 opening, the 2015 public share offer, branches in Mogadishu, Garowe, Kismayo, Bosaso, Baidoa and Hargeisa, cards and awards.
Dahabshil Bank International: the Dahabshiil group's Islamic bank
Dahabshil Bank International in facts: the 2008 Djibouti licence, the 2014 Hargeisa headquarters, branches in Somalia, lending, and its place in the Dahabshiil group.
MyBank (Somalia): digital bank licensed in 2019
MyBank in facts: founding in 2018, the 2019 licence, its core banking system, the Mastercard debit card, links with EVC Plus and Waafi, and the IskuFilan gold-backed loans for women.
Somalia's newer banks: Agro, Amana, Bushra, Bulsho, Daryeel, Galaxy, Idman, SomBank and Ziraat
The banks licensed in Somalia since 2019, one by one: when they were licensed, where they are based and what they are known for, including the first foreign banks.
Trade, import and manufacturing
Somali trading, import and manufacturing companies: directory
Somali importers, traders and manufacturers: drinks, cement, tiles, leather, fuel and food importers, with head office and source.
Somali manufacturers: steel, plastics, dairy, paper and drinks
Somali factories in facts: the government's factory counts and 'Made in Somalia' mark, and firms such as Hadiid Industries, Somplastic, Irman Dairy, AADCO Paper, ILO Tango, Tayo and Tabaarak, with dates, staff and output.
Somaliland Beverage Industries (SBI): the Coca-Cola plant in Hargeisa
SBI in facts: the Guelleh family and the OGF and GSK groups, the 2012 Coca-Cola plant, products, the 2017 to 2019 dispute with Djibouti and the bank debt case.
Hass Petroleum: the Somali-Kenyan fuel company
Hass Petroleum in facts: founders, history from Kisumu in 1997, countries, the Oman Oil stake, the Pinnacle tower in Nairobi and its work in Somalia.
Shops, food and markets
Somali supermarkets, shopping centres and shops: directory
Somali supermarket chains, shopping malls and larger retailers we can source, with year opened, city and source.
Hayat Market: supermarket chain in Mogadishu
Hayat Market in facts: who owns it, when and where its branches opened, what it sells, its online shop, and the awards it has received.
Construction and property
Somali construction, cement and property companies: directory
Somali builders, cement firms, building-materials makers and estate agencies we can source, with founding year, head office and source.
Somali cement companies: Red Sea Cement, Barwaaqo and the Berbera plants
The companies behind cement in Somalia and Somaliland: the Berbera cement plant and Red Sea Cement, the Raysut–MSG grinding plant, MSG's Berbera plant, and Barwaaqo Cement in Mogadishu.
Transport, airlines and shipping
Somali airlines and transport companies: directory
Somali airlines and transport companies, with founding year, base and source.
Electricity and water
Somali electricity, solar and water companies: directory
Somali electricity, solar and water companies, with founding year, head office and source.
Somali water companies: wells, piped water and bottled water
Somali private water companies in facts: how Mogadishu gets its water, the 2026 registration of wells and water firms, and companies such as Ijaabo, Afi, the Somali Water Development Union Company and Al Siha.
Somali solar and wind power companies
Somali solar and wind companies in facts: BECO's solar farm, NECSOM's wind plant in Puntland, and solar firms Tamarso Energy, Solargen, Burao Solar Systems and Kaah Electrical General Trading.
Farming, livestock and fishing
Somali farming, livestock and fishing companies: directory
Somali farms, livestock traders, poultry farms and fishing companies we can source, from the colonial plantations to firms founded since 2010, with founding year, base and source.
Somali fishing companies: Hafun, SNFC, Al Siha and the Puntland fleets
Somali fishing firms in facts: Hafun Fishing Company, the Somali National Fishing Company, Al Siha, Ardo, Badmaal and Sun Fishing, with founding years, boats, buyers and export markets.
Berbera's livestock quarantine companies
The companies that run the livestock quarantine stations at Berbera: what they do, how big they are, the Saudi ban and its end, the 2025 licence dispute, and the new SILQC centre.
Somali commercial farms: greenhouses and irrigated farms in Somaliland and Puntland
Somali commercial farms and farm-supply firms in facts: Horn Gardens, Gobsoor, Masno, Dalsan and Evergreen in Somaliland, Raaho, Al Nur and Al Baraka in Puntland, with founding years, size, crops and buyers.
Hotels, health, schools and services
Somali hotels, private hospitals and service companies: directory
Somali hotels, private hospitals, restaurants and service firms we can source, with founding year, head office and source.
Somali hotels and restaurants: Jazeera Palace, Peace Hotels, Sahafi, Karmel and others
Somali hotels and restaurants in facts: hotel and room counts by region, how hotels are owned and financed, and companies such as Jazeera Palace, Peace Hotel Group, Sahafi, Martisoor, Beder, Horyaal, Maamuus and Karmel.
Tech start-ups
Somali tech start-ups: directory
Somali delivery, taxi, shopping and other app start-ups we can source, with founding year, city and source.
Somali delivery, taxi and shopping apps: Gulivery, ZIQQI, Dhaweye and Guurdoon
The first Somali consumer apps in facts: Gulivery's deliveries and motorbike taxis, ZIQQI's online shop, Dhaweye's taxis in Hargeisa and the Guurdoon marriage app, with dates and numbers.
Somali businesses abroad
Somali businesses abroad: directory by country
Somali companies and Somali shopping centres abroad, country by country: Kenya, Uganda, the UK, the United States, South Africa, the UAE, Sweden, Djibouti and Australia, each with a source.
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