Understanding mobile money usage among farmers in the hiran region of somalia: an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) approach

Abstract

Abstract Mobile money (m-money) services have become an essential financial tool in Somalia, particularly for rural communities having restrained access to formal banking infrastructure. This research explores the key factors impacting the adoption as well as use of m-money platforms among Somali farmers, who increasingly rely on services such as Hormuud’s EVC Plus and Dahabshiil’s e-Dahab for everyday financial transactions. The study also utilized the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), extended with a context-specific variable digital literacy and Perceived Trust. The survey was conducted on 156 smallholder farmers in the Hiran region using a structured quantitative survey to examine the factors that influence the adoption of m-money. Data analysis was carried out in SPSS in order to extract descriptive statistics and in SmartPLS in a bid to verify the proposed relationships. As a result, the findings indicate that the Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Usefulness, Digital Literacy, as well as Perceived Trust, have an impressive and strong positive effect in terms of the behavioural intention of the farmers to adhere to the m-money services. Such findings provide valuable insights to service providers and NGOs, as well as policymakers interested in raising digital financial inclusion and access to financial services in rural, underserved areas in Somalia.