Saad Money Transfer Services

[Decadent Ambition]

An analyst friend based in Nairobi earlier today send me a link about Saad Money transfer services, particularly the one launched by Hormuud for Southern Somalia. Even Somaliaonline has the Independent article on it. I may be wrong but wasn´t this also posted earlier in somaliaonline about its launch in Somaliland by one of our northern brothers. Is Hormuud also extensively present there for I don´t know. Secondly which is the part I really am interested in is the fact the platform was designed by apparently the same british consultants for Safaricom´s M-pesa. For over a year and a half now, I have attended either directly or via proxy through colleagues trying to learn about M-Pesa STK technology, its implementation etc to no avail and all of a sudden Somali wheel dealers managed not only to get hold of designers but rolled it out. An impressive achievement, Masha Allah. Maybe its the fact I am simple analyst who wanted to know how this service using STK technology will compete with USSD based technologies in mobile money transfer especially in advanced developing countries with large rural unbanked population and even first world countries where banking phobia is taking root.

For those familiar with Saad transfer services or even used it, please shed some light. How efficient is it? Comparison to M-Pesa based services? Transaction charges et al. Is it fair to speculate and say cost of implementing plus design cannot exceed US$1million or no way in hell is that even close. Discuss.