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.
About the author
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.
