• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • Finance

    Will Ethiopia’s telecom liberalization improve financial inclusion?

    Development groups are looking for ways to leverage the ripple effects of liberalization — which include better connectivity, cheaper services, and a more competitive market — to improve financial inclusion.

    By Natalie Donback // 14 July 2023

    Last October, Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous country, ended its longstanding state monopoly on telecommunication when the Global Partnership for Ethiopia — led by Safaricom — launched its services in the country of 120 million people.

    State-owned Ethio Telecom is now facing competition from the international consortium, which also includes Vodafone, Vodacom, Sumitomo Corporation, and British International Investment. The group paid a hefty licensing fee of $850 million to enter the large market.

    “For us, Ethiopia is what we call a powerhouse country. It's a big important country in Africa and we think it needs to meet its potential,” said Abhinav Sinha, managing director and head of technology and telecoms at British International Investment. He added that Safaricom has managed to gather 5.5 million customers across 25 cities.

    This article is free to read - just register or sign in

    Access news, newsletters, events and more.

    Join usSign in

    More reading:

    ► Financial inclusion takes a hit amid rising debt and high interest rates

    ► Opinion: How mobile money can help get to universal health coverage

    • Banking & Finance
    • Economic Development
    • Innovation & ICT
    • Social/Inclusive Development
    • Funding
    • Private Sector
    • Ethiopia
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Natalie Donback

      Natalie Donback

      Natalie Donback is a freelance journalist and editor based in Barcelona, where she covers climate change, global health, and the impact of technology on communities. Previously, she was an editor and reporter at Devex, covering aid and the humanitarian sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree in development studies from Lund University and a master’s in journalism from the University of Barcelona and Columbia Journalism School.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Sponsored by the GSMAOpinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health

    Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health

    Development financeOpinion: To fix Somalia’s aid crisis, we must fund the private sector

    Opinion: To fix Somalia’s aid crisis, we must fund the private sector

    Most Read

    • 1
      Exclusive: A first look at the Trump administration's UNGA priorities
    • 2
      Devex Invested: The climate insurance lottery low-income countries can’t afford
    • 3
      Opinion: How climate philanthropy can solve its innovation challenge
    • 4
      Opinion: Uniting forces to advance sustainable development financing
    • 5
      AIIB turns 10: Is there trouble ahead for the China-backed bank?
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement