What Telesom does

Telesom is a privately held telecommunications company headquartered in Hargeisa, Somaliland, founded in 2002 and operating across the Republic of Somaliland with 1,001-5,000 employees and 19+ branch locations. The company delivers mobile voice and data services (including 5G and 4G networks), fiber-to-the-home broadband, fixed-line telephony, and an extensive portfolio of Value Added Services (ringback tones, mobile market, health info, educational content). Its ZAAD platform extends the core telco offering into mobile financial services covering payments, transfers, payroll, e-billing, e-payment, and humanitarian cash transfers, with interoperability to peer Soltelco.

The company serves two primary segments: Individual Consumers and Business and Enterprise customers. For consumers, Telesom operates a multi-channel direct-to-consumer motion spanning its website, iOS/Android self-care app, USSD code (*151#), 151 call center, WhatsApp, retail partners, and physical branches, with pricing tiers ranging from USD 0.12 daily bundles to USD 25 monthly VIP plans. For businesses, Telesom deploys field sales and dedicated account managers selling corporate accounts, SMS Gateway APIs, IoT fleet/fuel/personnel tracking, and enterprise cloud platforms covering ERP, call center, hospital, school, and university management.

Revenue is generated through subscription fees on voice, data, and fiber plans; transaction fees on ZAAD financial services; hardware sales (SIMs, routers, 4G MiFi, Apple devices); and enterprise contracts for cloud, IoT, and SMS Gateway services. Telesom holds ISO 27001 certification and operates sub-brands including ZAAD, Telesom First (loyalty), and Telesom Academy (training), with a publicly disclosed competitive positioning centered on being a comprehensive one-stop telecom and financial services provider for the Somaliland market.

Name

Telesom

Legal name

Telesom

Website

https://telesom.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Telesom is a privately held Somaliland-based telecommunications operator founded in 2002, offering mobile, 5G, fiber, fixed-line, ZAAD mobile money, enterprise cloud, and IoT services to individual consumers and business customers across 19+ nationwide branches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Services

NAICS

Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)

SIC

Radiotelephone Communications (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Mobile Network Operators (Retail MNOs) (HDAIAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Carrier Billing & Telco Mobile Money (FSAMAEAD), Dispatch, Workflow & Mobile Field Apps for Fleets (TLAEAFAI)

Keywords

• Mobile telecommunications services
• Mobile financial services
• Fiber internet services
• Enterprise cloud solutions
• Value added services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hargeisa

HQ country

Somalia

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Mobile Voice and Data Services: Prepaid and postpaid mobile plans offering voice minutes, SMS, and data bundles. Revenue generated through airtime purchases, data bundle sales, and recurring subscription fees for postpaid plans.
2. Fiber Internet: Home and business fiber optic internet plans with monthly subscription billing. Includes installation fees and router fees for new customers.
3. ZAAD Financial Services: Mobile money and financial transaction services generating revenue through transaction fees on transfers, payments, and other financial operations.
4. Value Added Services: Ringback tones (Ila Maqal), anti-theft services, mobile market, health info (Shaafi), educational content (Aqoonmaal), and other premium services.
5. Business Solutions: Cloud services, SMS gateway API, IoT solutions, and enterprise software sold to business customers.
6. Device Sales: Sale of routers, 4G MiFi devices, SIM cards (including VIP cards), and Apple products through retail and online channels.
7. International Roaming: Roaming services for customers traveling outside Somaliland coverage areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Telesom is a Somaliland-based telecommunications operator providing mobile voice and data services (including 5G and 4G), fiber-to-the-home internet, and the ZAAD mobile financial services platform for payments, payroll, e-billing, and humanitarian cash transfers. It also sells enterprise cloud software (ERP, call center, hospital and school management), IoT fleet-management solutions, an SMS Gateway API, and retail hardware such as SIM cards, routers, MiFi devices, and Apple products through nationwide branches and digital channels.

Product overview

Telesom is a Somaliland telecommunications company offering a comprehensive suite of mobile and fixed-line services. The product portfolio centers on core Voice & Data Services (including 5G, Kaafiye voice bundles, prepaid/postpaid plans, roaming, and international calling) complemented by the ZAAD financial services platform (mobile banking, e-billing, e-payment, payroll, and humanitarian cash transfer). The company provides Fiber For Home internet across multiple speed tiers (5-35 Mbps), Fixed Line Service, and an extensive range of business solutions including SMS Gateway API, Bulk SMS Broadcasting, IVR, USSD Services, and Cloud Services (ERP, Call Center, Hospital Management, School Management, University Management). Additional offerings include IoT solutions for Fleet Management, Fuel Monitoring, Personnel Tracking, and Smart Meters; Value Added Services such as ringback tones, health information, and mobile market; as well as hardware products including routers, 4G MiFi devices, SIM cards, and Apple products. The portfolio operates on a platform-plus-modules architecture with ZAAD and SMS Gateway as distinct service platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZAAD: Financial services brand offering mobile money, payroll management, e-billing, e-payment, and humanitarian cash transfer solutions.
• Telesom First
• Telesom Academy

Products and services

• Voice & Data Services Mobile telecommunications services for consumers including prepaid/postpaid plans, voice bundles (Kaafiye), data bundles, roaming, and international calling.
• 5G Network Service Fifth-generation wireless technology offering high-speed mobile connectivity with faster data rates and improved reliability for consumers and businesses.
• eSIM Digital SIM card technology allowing instant activation of phone numbers online without requiring a physical SIM card, targeted at mobile subscribers in Somaliland.
• ZAAD Mobile Financial Services Mobile financial services platform providing ZAAD Payroll, ZAAD Web Portals, ZAAD Mobile Banking, ZAAD e-Billing, ZAAD e-Payment, and Humanitarian Cash Transfer services for individuals and organizations.
• Fiber For Home Fiber optic internet service for residential customers offering multiple speed tiers from 5 Mbps to 35 Mbps with 99.9% uptime guarantee.
• T-Enterprise Fiber Customizable fiber optic internet plan for enterprise customers with speeds up to 1 Gbps, offered on an on-demand/on-quote basis.
• Fixed Line Service Traditional landline telephone service providing reliable and affordable voice connectivity for homes and businesses across Somaliland.
• ILA SOCO (Vehicle Tracking) Fleet management and vehicle tracking solution enabling real-time monitoring and control of vehicle assets for businesses.
• IoT Solutions IoT services including Fleet Management, Fuel Monitoring, Personnel Tracking, and Smart Meters for monitoring and controlling connected devices.
• SMS Gateway API Programmatic SMS messaging service allowing businesses to send system-generated messages, bulk SMS broadcasts, and voice SMS through API integration.
• Bulk SMS Broadcasting Mass SMS broadcasting service enabling businesses to send large volumes of text messages to multiple recipients simultaneously.
• Dhambaal MySMS

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Golis Telecom: Golis Telecom is a Somali MNO with operations spanning Somaliland and other Somali regions, offering voice, data, and money services. Comparable to Telesom as a regional competitor in the same market with overlapping product portfolio and target customers.
• Somtel International: Somtel is another major Somali MNO offering mobile voice, data, and mobile financial services. It competes head-to-head with Telesom in Somaliland and across the broader Somali market, targeting the same consumer and enterprise segments.
• Hormuud Telecom: Hormuud is the largest mobile network operator in Somalia/Somaliland, offering mobile voice, data, mobile money (EVC Plus), and business solutions. Directly competes with Telesom in the same Somaliland geography with a substantially larger subscriber base and similar integrated telecom-plus-fintech model.

Broad incumbents

• MTN Group: MTN is one of Africa's largest MNOs operating across multiple countries with MoMo mobile money. Comparable to Telesom as a wireless carrier with integrated fintech services, though at vastly greater geographic and financial scale; useful as a reference for telecom-plus-mobile-money business models.
• Safaricom: Safaricom is the dominant Kenyan MNO and operates M-Pesa, the world's most successful telco-led mobile money platform. Highly comparable to Telesom's integrated telecom-plus-ZAAD model and serves as the strategic benchmark for African MNO fintech convergence, though in a much larger market.
• Airtel Africa: Airtel Africa operates mobile networks in 14 African countries with growing mobile money services. Comparable to Telesom's wireless MNO-plus-fintech business model at a pan-African scale; relevant for benchmarking telecom ARPU expansion and fintech monetization strategies in African markets.

Regional players

• Africell: Africell is a regional African MNO with operations in Sierra Leone, DRC, Uganda, and previously Gambia. Comparable to Telesom as an emerging-market focused MNO with mobile money ambitions and fiber/data offerings, though in different African geographies.
• Ethio Telecom: Ethio Telecom is the state-owned incumbent telecom operator in neighboring Ethiopia, offering mobile, fixed, internet, and mobile money (Telebirr). Comparable to Telesom as an East African integrated MNO with mobile money, though operating in a much larger but newly liberalizing market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/telesomcompany
• Facebookfacebook.com/telesom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/telesomcompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/telesom_company
• TikToktiktok.com/@telesomcompany

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Telesom