# Telcos open their pipes to builders

> Somalia's biggest telecom company, Hormuud, lets outside businesses plug into its payment, SMS, USSD and voice-call systems.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/forces/telcos-open-their-pipes-to-builders/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## The force

An "API" is a door that lets one company's software use another company's system. Hormuud offers businesses APIs for EVC Plus payments, SMS, USSD menus and interactive voice calls (IVR) ([Garowe Online](https://www.garoweonline.com/en/featured/business-n/somalia-s-largest-telco-firm-now-invests-in-api-technology-to-drive-economic-growth)). It also runs a business SMS portal ([Hormuud](https://mysms.hormuud.com/)).

## How big the network is

- EVC Plus is reported to handle about 155 million transactions worth about $2.7 billion a month ([TechCabal](https://techcabal.com/2026/06/19/techcabal-daily-somalias-accidental-bank/)).
- Hormuud's 4G network covers more than 70% of the population (same source).
- Somalia had 11.5 million mobile connections in late 2025 ([DataReportal](https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-somalia)).

## Who is building on it

- **SOOMAR**, an online shop, uses the EVC Plus API to take payments ([Garowe Online](https://www.garoweonline.com/en/featured/business-n/somalia-s-largest-telco-firm-now-invests-in-api-technology-to-drive-economic-growth)).
- **Caaqil**, Hormuud's own Somali AI service, runs over SMS on *1000#, showing what the same channels can carry ([Garowe Online](https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/hormuud-s-caaqil-ai-breaks-barriers-smart-knowledge-without-smartphones-or-internet)).
- **Aid groups.** More than 145 aid organisations pay people through EVC Plus ([TechCabal](https://techcabal.com/2026/06/19/techcabal-daily-somalias-accidental-bank/)).

## The wider network

- **Price.** Mobile data costs about $0.40 per gigabyte, cheaper than Kenya's $0.82 ([Broadband.co.uk](https://www.broadband.co.uk/mobile-data-price-league)).
- **Partners.** Hormuud and Germany's development agency, GIZ, signed an agreement in March 2026 on cross-border payments and AI ([TechCabal](https://techcabal.com/2026/06/19/techcabal-daily-somalias-accidental-bank/)).
- **Somaliland** has its own networks and wallets, Telesom's Zaad and eDahab.

## Outside the country

M-Shwari, a savings and loans service, reached 7.2 million customers in about two years by building on top of Kenya's M-Pesa instead of building its own network ([FSD Africa](https://fsdafrica.org/the-growth-of-m-shwari-in-kenya-a-market-development-story/)).

## What to watch

When one company runs the pipes, prices and access depend on it. Clear rules from the regulator matter.

## What it means for young Somalis

A young developer in Mogadishu can build an app, a USSD menu or a voice line and reach millions of people through networks that already exist. The hardest part, the network, is built.

---
I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.