By Bior Aquilla – Aug 04, 2025
“Mobile money was starting to gain trust among people,” said Busu Seme, a regular MoMo user. “But now, with agents running out of cash, people are beginning to lose confidence. You have money in your (mobile) wallet, but you can’t access it when you need it for food, transport, or emergencies. It’s frustrating.”
What began as a convenient solution to carrying large amounts of cash for transactions is unfortunately evolving into a significant challenge for users. There’s a growing struggle to access cash from the mobile money platform, MoMo.
With the world transitioning to digital operations and cashless economies taking over, South Sudan is also embracing this shift.
In 2022, MTN launched MoMo, a mobile money platform designed to enable digital transactions for its customers, offering an alternative to cash. Seen as a life changer, the Bank of South Sudan has recognized mobile money potential as a transformative force for the economy, officially declaring it a fully legal and recognized form of payment.
This move aligns with the Bank’s 2023–2027 strategic plan, which aims to increase mobile money usage among adults to 30% by 2027. However, the current cash crisis in the country is significantly impacting the hopeful emergence of mobile money, particularly for businesses.
As liquidity shortages plague the country’s financial system, MoMo users are struggling to access their funds, whether from banks or mobile money agents.
Growing Distrust Among Users
Busu compared South Sudan’s adoption to long-established systems like Kenya’s M-Pesa and Uganda’s mobile money, warning that trying to implement digital finance overnight—without building public trust and infrastructure was premature.
“If we want people to adapt, it can’t be a one-day thing. It has to be gradual,” she urged, “MTN and the government need to fix the liquidity flow and build public confidence.”
Wani Yussuf, a MoMo subscriber, shared his disappointment.
“When MoMo was launched, it was great—no need to carry cash. But now agents only accept deposits. If you try to withdraw, they say they have no money.”
Another frustrated customer outside MoMo’s Hai Malakal office said the problem lies with major agents hoarding funds.
“Why do they take the money to the bank every evening? Let it circulate in the market. If someone needs 2 million SSP, let them go to the dealer and collect it—simple!”
Agents say their hands are tied.
Mou Majak, an agent located opposite the Pyramid Hotel in Juba, has been working with MTN MoMo since its inception in 2022. He explained that agents are simply running out of float.
“We give customers cash, but when we go to withdraw from the main MoMo office, they say they don’t have any. It’s the agents who end up stuck.”
According to Majak, the problem worsens when agents are given cash in small denominations—SSP 50s and 100s —while customers expect larger notes like SSP 500s and 1,000s. He added that the only way he manages to stay in business is by using his own capital.
“With M-Pesa or Uganda’s mobile money, I make more profit. With MoMo, we’re just educating people. There’s no real money in it yet.”
Photo taken Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, a man sits in his mobile money kiosk which specializes in sending money from South Sudan to Uganda, in the capital Juba, South Sudan.(AP Photo/Sam Mednick)
Majak proposed a simple solution, which he shared at a recent MoMo agents’ meeting, “Each agent should be supplied SSP 3 million every morning. In the evening, super agents can collect the money back. It would stabilize liquidity and restore trust.”
Efforts to address Liquidity
In response to mounting concerns, Central Bank Governor Dr. Addis Ababa Othow formed a Currency Management Committee on 24 June, 2025. The committee chaired by First Deputy Governor Samuel Yanga Mikaya, is tasked with evaluating the structure of the South Sudanese Pound (SSP) and proposing reforms to combat inflation and address liquidity shortages.
The crisis has led some citizens to abandon formal financial channels altogether.
“The bank has a rule now—you put in your money, but you can’t withdraw it,” said one passerby. “Better to keep your money at home in a safe.”
Attempts to obtain comment from MTN MoMo were not successful.
However, in April 2025, during a media briefing over growing dissatisfaction over MoMo, Francis Matseketsa, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN South Sudan, said they are aware of the failures of some MoMo customers to withdraw cash from some agents.
Matseketsa noted that while South Sudan is still in the early stages of adopting digital payments, and the public to patiently embrace cashless transactions as they drive financial inclusion to the underserved society.
“We also urge all retail outlets, merchants, and wholesalers to accept MoMo as a means of payment as they all become value chains, thus avoiding the use of cash for payments,” he stated. “We expect that since the government, through the finance ministry and the Bank of South Sudan, made several pronouncements to encourage the use of electronic payments instead of cash, the public should embrace cashless transactions,” he was quoted by Radio Tamazuj as saying.
He assured the general public that they are working with relevant stakeholders to explore solutions, like encouraging the transacting public to adopt digital payments by using MoMo to pay for goods and services at their nearest merchant retail outlets accepting MoMo.
Calls for Government Action
Ter Manyang Gatwech, a civil society activist from the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), called on South Sudan’s Transitional National Legislature to summon the Minister of Finance and Planning. He described the country’s liquidity challenges as a “national crisis,” and demanded transparency on the government’s handling of public funds and cash flow.
“The minister of Finance and Planning should appear in parliament and address the ongoing liquidity crisis. The public deserves transparency in the current lack of cashflow in the country.”
Mobile Money:A Promising Future at Risk
South Sudan’s mobile money policy was a bold and progressive move aimed at modernizing the economy and promoting financial inclusion. However, without the necessary liquidity, infrastructure, and user confidence, the very system designed to solve cash problems risks becoming another point of failure.
For mobile money to succeed, the government, financial institutions, and telecom providers must urgently resolve the cash flow issues, increase transparency, and prioritize user education and trust-building. Otherwise, the country risks sliding back into a fully cash-dependent society—undermining the very digital future it seeks to build.
For now, the promise of financial inclusion remains just that—a promise. Whether it will be fulfilled depends on how soon and how seriously the liquidity crisis is addressed.
This story is reported with a grant from Journalists for Human Rights under the ‘Tackling
Mis/Disinformation Project,’ funded by the Peace and Stabilization Program of the
Government of Canada.