MOGADISHU, Somalia — Hormuud Telecom, the nation’s largest telecommunications provider, announced a strategic partnership Tuesday with Get-Phone to launch Somalia’s first structured smartphone financing program.
The initiative aims to provide millions of low-income Somalis with access to internet-ready devices for the first time, addressing the “affordability gap” that remains the primary barrier to digital inclusion in a country where 4G coverage already reaches more than 70% of the population.
Under the new model, customers can acquire a smartphone with an upfront deposit of $19 and daily repayments starting at $0.60. The daily fee includes the device installment plus a bundled package of 1GB of data and 40 minutes of voice calls. Currently, the average Somali customer spends $0.50 per day on data and calls alone; the new program allows them to add a smartphone to that daily budget for an additional 10 cents.
“For 20 years, we have built a network that we believe can transform Somalia,” said Ahmed Yusuf, chairman of Hormuud Telecom. “The barrier is not the mast in the distance; it is the handset in the pocket. Today, we are removing that barrier.”
Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama hailed the program as a gateway to financial inclusion and a key component of the country’s Vision 2060 national aspirations.
“A smartphone today is far more than a device; it is a gateway to commerce, education, and opportunity,” Jama said.
The program uses Hormuud’s EVC Plus mobile money platform to facilitate repayments. Eligibility is determined through a proprietary credit-scoring system based on SIM-usage patterns, allowing those without formal bank accounts to participate. The program also features a “family guarantor” mechanism, which proved successful during a February-March pilot in Mogadishu. The pilot reported a default rate of less than 4%.
The first phase of the rollout aims to distribute 10,000 devices by June 2026, with a target of 100,000 devices by the end of the year as the program expands into Puntland and Somaliland.
Get-Phone CEO Omar Abdi noted that the financing is Sharia-compliant and interest-free, with repayment terms spanning six to 12 months.
“This program is built on the belief that when you give people access to the right tools at the right price, they will do extraordinary things,” Abdi said.
The initiative comes as data from the World Bank and GSMA indicate that a 10% increase in broadband penetration can boost GDP by up to 1.4% in developing economies. With nearly half of Hormuud’s 4 million subscribers still using 2G feature phones, the partnership is positioned to unlock significant private investment in Somalia’s growing digital infrastructure.
