Telecoms and internet
eDahab: the Dahabshiil group's mobile money service
eDahab is the mobile money service of Somtel, the phone company of the Dahabshiil group. It started in Somaliland in the mid-2010s and works through Somtel SIM cards and Dahabshiil's money transfer network. In March 2018 it agreed to follow a Somaliland rule that payments under $100 be made in Somaliland shillings. In November 2018 Somtel brought eDahab and its 3G and 4G network to Mogadishu.
The short version
eDahab is the mobile money service of Somtel, a phone company headquartered in Hargeisa and largely owned by the Dahabshiil group (Wikipedia, Somtel). It lets customers put money onto their phones, pay for goods, and send money to people at home and abroad through Somtel (Capital FM, 14 March 2018). Somaliland Press reported the launch of eDahab in Somaliland in an article archived in April 2015 (Somaliland Press, archived 2 April 2015).
Place in the market
A 2019 Clingendael study found that the Hormuud-aligned companies (Hormuud, Telesom and Golis) held about 81 percent of SIM cards across Somalia and Somaliland. Dahabshiil, through Somtel, held about 16 percent (Clingendael, Transnational capital in Somalia, 2019, box 7). In Somaliland, eDahab competes with Telesom's Zaad.
The 2018 shilling rule
In March 2018 the Somaliland government ruled that all mobile payments under $100 be made in Somaliland shillings (Capital FM, 14 March 2018). It also barred mobile money firms from offering currency exchange. The aim was to steady the shilling's exchange rate, reduce the use of dollars in daily trade and slow price rises. The Central Bank of Somaliland confirmed the rule (Capital FM, 14 March 2018).
eDahab said it would comply. Customers could still deposit and hold dollar amounts above $100. Dahabshiil's chief executive, Abdirashid Duale, said eDahab would not offer exchange services and would keep supporting independent money changers (same source).
Launch in Mogadishu, 2018
In early November 2018 Somtel launched its 3G and 4G network in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia, together with eDahab. It also said it would offer shares in the company to the public (Hiiraan Online, 5 November 2018; Somaliland Standard, 6 November 2018). At the launch, the group's founder and chairman, Mohamed Said Duale, said eDahab and Dahabshil Bank would give customers more banking and financial services. Somalia's deputy prime minister and former president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attended (same sources).
Links with banks
- eDahab works alongside Dahabshil Bank International, the group's Islamic bank (Hiiraan Online, 5 November 2018).
- Somaliland's Wadaag Bank wallet connects to both Zaad and eDahab (Mobile money in Somalia).
For the other services, see EVC Plus, Zaad and Sahal. For the wider picture, see Mobile money in Somalia.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Somtel · en.wikipedia.org
- Capital FM, 14 March 2018 · capitalfm.co.ke
- Somaliland Press, archived 2 April 2015 · web.archive.org
- Clingendael, Transnational capital in Somalia, 2019, box 7 · kpsrl.org
- Hiiraan Online, 5 November 2018 · hiiraan.com
- Somaliland Standard, 6 November 2018 · somalilandstandard.com
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Where this matters
- Muqdisho (Mogadishu) and BanaadirMogadishu (Muqdisho) is Somalia's capital and makes up the Banadir region, with about 2.97 million people in 20 districts.
- Hargeysa (Hargeisa) and Woqooyi GalbeedWoqooyi Galbeed is the north-western region that holds Hargeisa (Hargeysa) and the port of Berbera, with about 1 to 1.45 million people.
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Keep reading
- Somali telecoms, internet and media companies: directorySomali phone, internet and media companies, with founding year, head office, owner where public, and source.
- EVC Plus: Hormuud's mobile money serviceEVC 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 cardWAAFI 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 SomalilandZaad 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 PuntlandSahal 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.
- Hormuud Telecom: Somalia's largest phone and mobile money companyHormuud Telecom in facts: founding, owners, EVC Plus and WAAFI, network coverage, cables, licences, jobs and its foundation.