Winner, Best Remittance Service Award 2025

Tawakal Express is the recipient of the Best Remittance Service Award 2025, recognized for over thirty years of connecting Somali families and diaspora communities through trusted and innovative financial solutions.

Founded in 1998 in Garowe, Tawakal began as a traditional money transfer service and has since grown to a footprint across more than seventy countries. The company pioneered digital remittances in Somalia through its T‑Plus mobile wallet, launched in collaboration with telecom partners such as Hormuud Telecom. T‑Plus is the country’s first fully integrated mobile wallet, offering international transfers, merchant payments, and bill pay; all accessible via smartphone or USSD.

Tawakal maintains a multi‑channel service model. It offers cash pickup at local agents, direct mobile transfers via M‑PESA, MTN, Orange, ZAAD and others, as well as online banking through its eTawakal and Banana Pay platforms. This combination provides speed, reliability and low transaction fees across many financial environments.

As a community‑focused company, Tawakal also delivers humanitarian payment solutions. Its Humanitarian Money Transfer service supports NGOs and agencies operating in crisis regions with reduced costs and transparent tracking.

In 2019, Tawakal partnered with the UK‑based PiP iT Global to enable T‑Plus wallet top‑ups through over eleven thousand UK Post Office branches. This expansion created easier, more cost‑effective routes for Somali and East African diaspora to support families at home.

By combining 30 years of remittance expertise with mobile wallet innovation and global partnerships, Tawakal Express stands at the forefront of Somalia’s financial connectivity. This award celebrates its role in building secure, accessible financial bridges across continents.