Worlding Mogadishu: ‘New cities’ and material modes of urban speculation

Overview

This study examines the role of telecommunications companies, particularly Hormuud Telecommunications Company and its subsidiaries, in urban land development and speculation in Mogadishu during the post-state-collapse reconstruction period. The research positions telecoms as central actors in contemporary urban transformation processes, extending their operational scope far beyond conventional telecommunications services to encompass financing, construction, technical training, electricity provision, and financial services. The analysis focuses on how these companies engage in both imaginative and material production of urban futures, with particular attention to Darul Salaam, a peripheral new city development targeting diaspora and local elites.

Methods and approach

The research employs empirical investigation of telecommunications companies' involvement in urban development and speculation in Mogadishu. The approach examines the material and financial mechanisms through which telecoms operationalize urban imaginaries, tracing their engagement across multiple economic sectors and development initiatives. The analysis distinguishes between the performative dimensions of market-making and world-making, attending to how diaspora capital flows are mobilized through telecoms' distinct positioning relative to other economic actors.

Key Findings

Telecommunications companies in Mogadishu function as primary speculators engaged in producing material urban futures alongside imaginative narratives about the city. Hormuud's vertically integrated business model—encompassing telecommunications infrastructure, financial services, construction, and technical training—positions telecoms as uniquely capable actors in coordinating large-scale urban development. The development of Darul Salaam exemplifies how telecoms translate urban imaginaries into concrete material interventions, establishing new city infrastructure targeting diaspora and elite populations while performing market-making through multi-sectoral engagement.

Implications

The findings demonstrate that African telecoms, having accumulated substantial capital and expanded operational scope, warrant systematic empirical and conceptual engagement within urban studies scholarship. The case of Mogadishu reveals telecoms as distinct from conventional real estate developers or financial institutions, operating at the intersection of infrastructure provision, capital flows, and speculative urban production. This necessitates reconsideration of how telecommunications corporations shape urban processes and compete with state institutions in determining city futures.