(JUBA) – South Sudan’s two leading telecom operators, MTN and Digitel, have announced plans to expand their mobile money services across the country. The move follows a series of meetings with the Bank of South Sudan’s Department of Communication and Public Relations aimed at easing the country’s dependence on physical cash while tackling liquidity shortages that have long affected both traders and consumers.
The initiative also comes at a time when the South Sudanese government has been encouraging digital transformation as part of its broader efforts to strengthen the financial system. Authorities believe that reducing reliance on cash payments will ease shortages and make transactions safer and more efficient.
De Chan Awuol, the Executive Vice President of Digitel Holdings, said his company is ready to roll out awareness programmes to inform the public about the benefits of digital banking. He praised the central bank’s leadership in advancing the country’s digital economy and underlined that expanding mobile money services will be a critical step towards broadening financial access.
Similarly, Harrison Daka, Senior Manager for Products and Services at MTN’s MoMo, confirmed MTN’s commitment to widening its operations across South Sudan. He urged traders and customers to adopt mobile payments, stressing that such adoption could ease the cash shortages that frequently disrupt trade and business in the country.
The Bank of South Sudan has welcomed the commitments made by MTN and Digitel, describing them as a milestone in efforts to modernise the financial sector.
The central bank noted that as more citizens gain access to digital payment platforms, the economy will be better placed to support small businesses, trade networks and even government tax collection.