Hormuud Telecom’s EVC Plus mobile money service suffered a major disruption on Wednesday, leaving users unable to complete transactions and triggering widespread concern among customers and businesses that rely on the platform for daily financial activities.
Users attempting to send or receive money, make purchases, or pay for services reported receiving an error message stating: “Internal Service Error – Please try again.”
The outage affected one of Somalia’s most widely used financial services, which millions of people depend on for everyday transactions.
Hormuud had not issued an official explanation at the time of reporting, and the cause, scale, and expected duration of the disruption remained unclear.
As a result, there is currently no evidence to support speculation that the outage was caused by a cyberattack, hacking incident, or any other specific security breach.
The incident highlighted the central role EVC Plus plays in Somalia’s economy.
Mobile money has become the primary method of payment for many individuals and businesses, particularly in areas where traditional banking services are limited.
The platform is widely used for money transfers, retail purchases, bill payments, salaries, and business transactions.
Because much of Somalia’s economy operates through mobile money systems, even a short interruption can affect trade, delay payments, and create uncertainty for both consumers and merchants.
Small businesses are often among the first to feel the impact, as many rely almost entirely on digital transactions rather than cash.
The outage also underscored Somalia’s growing dependence on digital financial services.
While mobile money has helped overcome challenges associated with cash shortages and limited banking infrastructure, it has also made economic activity increasingly reliant on the uninterrupted operation of electronic payment systems.
Financial and technology experts note that service disruptions can occur for a variety of technical reasons, and they have urged the public to avoid spreading unverified claims until official information is released.
For now, customers and businesses are awaiting a formal statement from Hormuud Telecom clarifying the cause of the outage, the services affected, and when EVC Plus will be fully restored.