If you had to guess which country has the highest mobile money penetration in the world, you would almost certainly not guess Somalia. Yet over 73% of Somali adults actively use mobile money, primarily through Hormuud's EVC Plus. In a country that lacked a functioning central bank for years, the private sector built a mobile payment system that now moves billions annually. What Somalia lacks is the services ecosystem to sit on top of it.

How ZUMA Solves This Country’s Specific Challenges

Mobile-First from Day One: ZUMA's USSD-compatible wallet works on any phone without internet — critical where data coverage is inconsistent. Every service degrades gracefully to SMS and USSD, not just smartphone apps.

Remittances: Somalia receives an estimated USD 1.5-2 billion a year in diaspora remittances — about 20% of GDP. Existing services charge 3-7%. ZUMA's flat 1.5% cross-border transfer creates immediate value for families.

Trade & Commerce: Mogadishu's Bakara Market is one of East Africa's largest. Traders operate in cash or peer EVC Plus transfers with no commercial infrastructure. ZUMA's merchant wallet gives them QR payments, transaction history, and access to a cross-border B2B marketplace.

Identity & Trust: ZUMA's tiered KYC is designed to work with limited formal documentation — letting users access basic services with minimal ID and unlock full features as they verify more.

Where ZUMA Operates

Launch: Mogadishu 2027, Hargeisa 2027 · Currency: SOS/USD · Payments: EVC Plus, Zaad, Somtel Money.