Hormuud Telecom: Bridging the telecommunication gap in the State of Somalia despite hard times

MOGADISHU, Somalia - In 1991 the state of Somalia's government under the leadership of General Mohamed Siad Barre collapsed, plowing the country into civil anarchy, all forms of communication ranging from the telco sector were destroyed.

The international community watched as most citizens fled to neighbouring countries as refugees to escape the war and hunger.

A decade later in 2002, the same country witnessed the birth of the Hormuud telecommunication company.

“We all know that our country fell into darkness after the collapse of the central government and all forms of basic services that were provided by the government were lost. In spite of all these the great industrious people of Somalia mobilized to rebuild their country’s sectors like education, health, communications, and finance,” says Ahmed Muhamud Yusuf, Chairman, and Founding CEO, of Hormuud Telecommunication.

Over the years Hormuud Telecoms has driven economic growth by providing vital infrastructure for Somali people.

Today its Somalia’s largest broadband and telecommunications service provider. As it marks two decades since its inception, we take a look at some of the firm’s achievements.

Mohamud recalls the journey “Hormuud has achieved so much and when we journey back 20 years, we have done a lot in not only providing services but also creating employment opportunities for our people. We have also contributed to the reconstruction of our country.”

Recently the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary, they are holding a forum that brought together industry players both from the government and private sector. The theme for the forum is pegged on the ‘Role of Private Sector in driving Economy growth of Somalia’.

He added that the firm was founded by 283 shareholders who had the vision of transforming the lives of their communities and connecting Somalis worldwide through a variety of products and services.

“Over the course of 20 years, Hormuud Telecom became the largest company in Somalia with the highest number of shareholders from 283 to 12,000, owned entirely by Somali businessmen. Our goal is to strengthen the economy of the country through the creation of new jobs and telecommunication is a sector that can spur growth,” comments Muhamud.

Hormuud Telecom firm currently is the biggest employer in Somalia with a workforce of over 35,000 Somalis.

“Our employees are its most valuable asset and as a company, we offer the best employee benefits like better remunerations, health insurance,120 days of paid maternity leave, and four weeks of paid annual leave. Plus annual bonuses are based on individual and company performance. We have also set up an agency business that has benefited most Somalis.” reveals Muhamud.

In 2020 the British technology research firm Cable did research revealing that Somalia overtook many African countries with regard to internet accessibility despite the political and security challenges, and is now considered one of the countries in the world with affordable internet, ranking number one in Africa, and seventh globally.

Major Milestone Achievements

2009: Hormuud Telecom introduced the country's first type of mobile phone internet called GPRS.

2011: Introduction of EVC Plus - This EVC Plus is a unique option to send and receive mobile money, and it is the country's most popular mobile money wallet.

In 2013: Hormuud Telecom signed an agreement with the African fiber optic company Liquid Telecom, to connect to the company's 17,000 km (10,500 miles) network of terrestrial cables crossing 11 African countries.

Bringing the fiber optic internet cables to Somalia was another landmark achievement for Hormuud Telecom, which resulted in Somalia having the cheapest internet in Africa.

The last two decades have also seen the company establishing 100 customer service centers, staffed by highly trained employees that are dedicated to providing excellent service to customers. Hormuud telecom now has more than 500 customer service centers, where people can get all the company's various services and products.

ISO certification: Hormuud Telecom received the International Organization for Standardization certification in 2020, becoming Somalia's first private company to be (ISO) certified. This recognition allows the company to serve its customers globally and conduct business with international companies.

Earlier this year Hormuud Telecom received a prestigious Mobile Money Certification from the global mobile network operators' industry body (GSMA) for its EVC Plus mobile money platform, which currently serves 8.8 million active subscribers, making Hormuud the first Somali company to receive the GLOMO Award.

GAROWE ONLINE