With just 35% of adults accessing financial services and products, Ethiopia is one of the least-banked countries in the world. The use of digital financial services is also not widespread in Ethiopia, with cash still the dominant payment method. The exception is the southern Somali region, which has the highest uptake of digital financial services in the country. The most popular platform is HelloCash, a platform developed by BelCash Technology Solutions and introduced to the Somali region by the Somali Microfinance Institute, now Shabelle Bank, in 2015. While the introduction of digital financial services into the Somali region represented a step towards greater financial inclusion, its roll-out was skewed towards bigger towns and market centres with more commercial activity and easier commercial returns. People in the more remote parts of the region that host large numbers of refugees were largely excluded.