In the sharp and high-altitude chill of Addis Abeba’s winter, daylight lingers over eucalyptus-lined streets long after classrooms have emptied. What was once a season of barefoot village adventures has evolved into something altogether different.

A burgeoning industry of structured winter camps, promising confidence, language fluency, and life skills, for fees that often eclipse a household’s monthly income.

A generation ago, the rhythm of school breaks was set by the smell of bus fumes and the sound of river water. Children crammed into minibuses bound for rural homesteads, where evenings closed around smoky fires and grandparents’ tales cost nothing but attention spans. These journeys were familial, unregulated, and free of charge.

Today, for Addis Abeba’s upper-middle and affluent families, school breaks are curated, urban, and costly, emblems of aspiration and, increasingly, of widening inequality.

On a recent Monday in the Bole neighbourhood, four-year-olds at Little Daycare lined up for a French lesson while older children chopped vegetables in a beginner’s cooking class. The daycare’s founder, Markeza Abebe, launched a two-month program last year that grew from 12 to 20 enrollees.

For 7,000 Br, children rotate through crafts, language classes, and drawstring-bag gymnastics.

Some of these camps cost more than my monthly salary.” Zemen Yohannes Mother of Three

“It’s more than simply keeping them busy,” said Markeza. “It’s about giving them exposure to a different environment, building friendships, and gaining confidence.”

If Little Daycare anchors the middle tier of this expanding ecosystem, the high-end shimmers in hotel lobbies. At Capital Hotel & Spa, a marble-floored compound off Haile G. Selassie Avenue, parents can choose from a menu of taekwondo, swimming, gymnastics, drumming, and keyboard.

"They can choose between one to four programs," said Bezawit Elias, a receptionist overseeing the initiative. "We offer both monthly and bi-monthly options."

A three-program package for one month costs 25,000 Br without snacks and 44,220 if they are included; a full two-month course can run up to 88,440 Br. As of early in the season, 80 children had already signed up. Even single-program options, like swimming, range between 10,000 Br and 50,000 Br.

Across the city, prices span a dizzying range, from 1,000 Br to upwards of 80,000 Br, mirroring an increasingly stratified market. Horseback riding in Bishoftu (Debre Zeit), coding boot camps in Bole, and leadership seminars in Cazancis all promise one thing to parents. Their child will be better prepared for the modern world.

Yet, the promise comes with a caveat.

“Some of these camps cost more than my monthly salary,” said Zemen Yohannes, a mother of three who spent weeks sifting through glossy brochures before settling on a 500 Br taekwondo class at her local wereda office. “It lacks the polish. But, it gives them structure, discipline, and a place to go.”

Discipline and self-control are key selling points at Ethiopian Hapkido Taekwondo, run by Getahun Tessema (Master). His 1,000 Br monthly program combines strength training with mindfulness exercises.

“We teach students how to focus, defend themselves, and protect others, while nurturing creativity,” he told Fortune.

Despite the industry’s momentum, and revenue, it remains largely unregulated. Many camps operate under generic business licenses, making it difficult to quantify their scope or reach.

“The exact number of summer camps is not known,” admitted Ashenafi Birhanu, communications director at the Addis Abeba Trade Bureau. “Some operate informally with capital as low as 200,000 Br.”

Atlaw Alemu (PhD), an economist teaching at the Addis Abeba University, urges caution until more data is available.

“We need numbers to see how many camps exist, at what price points, and who they serve,” he said. “Most cater to the upper class while the middle class slips downward. To assess their economic value, quantity matters.”

While data paints one picture, anecdote sketches another.