How Golis telco is changing Puntland's story

Clients being served at one of the Golis outlets in Garowe, Puntland. [File, Courtesy]

The once sleepy Garowe town is awake. 

Her residents are up and down trading in different commodities as vehicles and tuk-tuks transport people to different locations.

This is the capital city of Puntland, and she is slowly rewriting her story on her own terms. 

As her ink drips on the paper so does Somalia’s which is synonymous with violence, war and drought.

From the skies, one can spot construction sites popping up in different areas and modern homes taking shape as the map of the city gets redrawn.

At night the story is no different as the once dark streets are well lit up giving a welcoming vibe to visitors who come here for the first time.

The city lies some 1,000 kilometers north of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu and her residents are touting Garowe to rival her sister in taking the crown of the best city in the horn of Africa.

This month, Garowe played host to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification for Golis, one of the telecommunication companies in Somalia.

Golis got three ISO certifications in Quality Management System, Mobile money certification, and Informative Security Management System.

Golis Telecommunications headquarters, the telco recently received three IOS certifications. [File, Courtesy]

The company can now lay claim to being one of the largest telcos in the country.

The event was attended by Puntland’s Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor.

“As vice president of Puntland, I am one of Golis' clients. I can also see that today's Mastercard launch is another milestone,” he said.

“The ISO Certificates that were given today to Golis Telecommunications shows the trust and confidence that the world has in Golis.”

The sight of the VP in the event for the locals meant a show of confidence by the government to help spur the growth of businesses.

The company’s head of business development Dr Mohamud Abdirahman lauds the efforts by Golis for the role played in economic growth which has seen it emerge as the leading network provider in Puntland.

“All other businesses depend on the services that Golis Telecom provides,” he says.

He adds that since it was founded in 2002 the company has had to brave through political turbulences, terrorism and natural disasters to stand tall and be key to Puntland’s growth.

According to Mohamud, the robust pillars that Golis has, have helped the business make strides in what some may consider unchartered waters.

The identification and verification of customers they deal with have helped them put their needs at the center of operations.

He says that this has also helped them in the mobile money transfer operations where users can send money from anywhere in the world.

“We have AI which can identify your voice to use as a password.”

To array fears that it might be used in money laundering and terrorism funding, Mohamud says they have complied in all regulations in place to avoid the same.

The company’s internet rates are some of the cheapest in the world and Mohamud credits this to the growth of the business and the region as well. Dukhtuka Hanosho, a London-based mining investor is looking to start operations in August 2024.

He says Golis was an easy pick for him since the money transfer is easier to operate compared to running different bank accounts in different countries.

“In the UK, to get open internet such as what is accessible in Puntland you’ll need to pay about 30 pounds, but it is very cheap here,” says Hanosho.

Due to the flexible limits of money transfers, Hanosho says that it will be cheap for him to buy and import materials that are not available in the country for his business.

Musa Wesusta, a Kenyan who runs a risk management consultancy firm in Nairobi says the last four years have seen a rise in businesses setting up shop there.

“The city has seen a lot of progress since we have been here.”

Wesusta came here just after the Covid-19 pandemic and what was supposed to be a one-time job consulting job ended up becoming a four-year stay.

“It is an environment that is very welcoming to foreigners.”

He says that local institutions and the growth of the different sectors have been key in attracting foreign investors with most targeting to invest in banking and telecommunication.

Abdikadir Mohamed has lived in Saudi Arabia for ages and the allure to come back home to Garowe was made better by the business opportunities the city offers.

“Communication with the outside world has improved a lot. Today I can call someone in Mogadishu without any challenges.”

He lauds the growth citing the roads, telecommunication, the airport, business environment and security.