Issue 91: Second Trials & Trillion Birr Milestones

Hi, 

Ethiopia is relaunching the tender for a second private telecommunications license, while Safaricom has recently announced the appointment of a new CEO for its Ethiopia business. Furthermore, Ethio Telecom has entered into a partnership with a second bank to introduce a fresh range of micro-loans and savings products. Catchup with these developments and others in Shega Weekly!

Ethiopia Opens Tender for New Telecoms License

Last week, Ethiopia announced it was relaunching the process to issue a second private telecommunications license as it continues to open up the sector.  Read more.

Motorcycle Ride-Hailing App Tolo Begins Operations in Addis Ababa

Tolo, a new ride-hailing platform that enables users to conveniently request motorcycle rides through their mobile devices, has recently launched its services in Addis Ababa. Read more.

Safaricom Names Former MTN Executive Wim Vanhelleputte as CEO of Ethiopian Business

Safaricom has named Wim Vanhelleputte as the Chief Executive Officer of its Ethiopia business. Wim, who joins from South Africa’s MTN Group, where he held several positions including Chief Executive of MTN Uganda, will take over from Anwar Soussa, who will step down from his role at the end of the following month. Read more.

State-Owned Giants Collaborate to Offer Expanded Loan Products

The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), the country’s largest commercial bank, has partnered with Ethio Telecom to introduce a new range of microloan and savings products on the widely-used mobile money platform telebirr. Read more.

Ethiopia Sets Another Cashless Mandate in Fuel Supply Chain

Following the successful digitization of fuel payment at gas stations, transactions between gas stations and fuel distributors are now set to become cashless. Read more.

Teacheru Leverages AI, Telegram to Bridge the Education Gap in Ethiopia

In an effort to assist Ethiopian high school students in exam preparation and bridge the educational gap, tech startup Botter (LangBot Inc.) has introduced Teacheru, an AI-powered study assistant that operates on the popular messaging platform Telegram. Read more.

CBE’s Digital Transactions Surpass Three Trillion Birr 

Financial transactions conducted through the digital channels of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) have reached 3.02 trillion birr.

This figure, released last week by Abe Sano, the president of CBE, during the launch of the new partnership between CBE and Ethio Telecom, provides fresh insights into the digital financial market in Ethiopia.

Abe also pointed out that previous government reports, such as the one shared by the Minister of Planning and Development, which claimed that Ethiopia’s digital payment ecosystem facilitated transfers amounting to 1.2 trillion birr within a nine-month period, were incorrect.

“CBE alone has figures suppressing the ones claimed in the report,” he added.   Read more.

From Connectivity to Opportunity: Tackling Infrastructure Challenges in Ethiopia

ICT infrastructure serves as the foundation for digitally enabled services and plays a critical role as both an enabler and a potential obstacle. However, the responsibility of enhancing ICT infrastructure in Ethiopia and the approach to achieving this remain key questions. Read more.

Voting Alert

Two Ethiopian startups, Coffee Resurrect and Husky Energies, are currently in the final stages of the Global Startup Award, one of the largest independent competitions in the startup ecosystem. They specialize in upcycling coffee waste and are seeking your vote to support their innovative solutions.

Husky Energies is a renewable energy and engineering startup that focuses on converting coffee waste, sawdust, and even animal feed into a compact cylindrical form. This innovation enhances efficiency in both the energy and animal feed sectors. On the other hand, Coffee Resurrect transforms coffee waste into oil and fiber, offering a unique approach to waste management.

As the final winners will be determined through public voting, Coffee Resurrect, and Husky Energies are urging you to vote for them. Show your support for these promising Ethiopian startups by casting your vote today!

Vote for Husky Energies

Vote for Coffee Resurrect