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Jan 19 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

Traditional Weaving Unravels as Chiffon Takes Over, Demands Dwindle, Costs Rise

Asamenew Arba, a weaver operating from a building housing micro enterprises near Shero Meda in northern Addis Abeba, faces severe difficulties in his trade due to the scarcity of essential imported materials like pattern threads. He says that the absence of a proper trade centre has severely impa...

Jan 12 , 2025 . By ROBERA GETACHEW

Leather Industry Falters, Quality Declines, Factories Shutter

Daniel Megersa, a butcher in Addis Abeba's northern Asko area, has watched his in-home slaughtering business decline sharply in recent years. Once overwhelmed by customer calls during holidays like Genna (Christmas), Daniel now faces dwindling demand. This past Genna, only four customers requested sheep slaughtering, and just two needed oxen services. “Five or six years ago, more than 10 people would call me to slaughter sheep, and over five for oxen. I used to struggle to prioritise my clients,” he recalls. He earns 500 to 600 Br per sheep or goat. The fall in demand has also affect...


Jan 5 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO

Depressed Buyers, Burdened Vendors as Stagflation Dulls Christmas Holiday

The blistering sun barely bothered 60-year-old Alemneh Eshetu as he strolls from one vendor to another looking to buy an affordable chicken. With his red coat and hat to cover the inferno, he paces around with 1,000 Br in his pocket, expecting to secure a small-sized chicken and some butter to cook it with. His limitations made him haggle with every vendor. He came out unsuccessful. The smallest chickens were selling for 1,000 Br. "It's an unbearable price," he said, feeling like his wallet had shrunk. He settled down to leaving the market with just a kilogram of butter (lega qibe) for ...


Dec 29 , 2024 . By ROBERA GETACHEW

Escaping Underemployment, Facing Low Wages at Home, Scam Factories in Myanmar

Shikur Naser, a 25-year-old civil engineering graduate, left for Bangkok, Thailand, in September 2023, hoping to land a job in digital marketing. Born in Tora, Silte Zone, Central Ethiopia Regional State, Shikur struggled to find employment in his field after graduating from Dilla University in 2021. He eventually took a job as a math teacher at Tanzhe Secondary School in Alicho, teaching grades 11 and 12. Despite earning a net salary of 3,500 Br, he found it impossible to sustain himself and his family. Shikur expressed deep dissatisfaction with his job and income, saying, “How can an...

Agenda

Dec 22 , 2024

Fuel Supply Halts as Parallel Market, EV Push Leave Regions, Investors in the Lurch

Africa Oil Plc has five of its stations denied fuel supply by the Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE). The company had requested over a million litres of fuel, but its requests have been unfu...

Dec 15 , 2024

Shackled by Poverty, Employees Battle for Survival

A 23-year-old woman (name withheld to protect identity) has been working at a garment factory at the Adama Industrial Park, for the past six years. She describes her work as feeling more like "slavery...

Dec 8 , 2024

National ID Footprint Stumbles Over Limited Acceptance, Printing Quality

Dawit Arega, a tourist guide for 14 years, has encountered difficulties with his National Identification. Enrolling in the initiative when it launched in September 2022, he hoped it would simplify pro...

Dec 1 , 2024

Government Reforms Battle Market Forces on Cement Industry Control

On the outskirts of Addis Abeba lies the subdued Qaliti cement market with retailers like Tsigereda Eshetu gazing for customers that may be interested in their products. The price for a quintal of cem...

Nov 24 , 2024

Mercato's Taxing Transformation Tests Tax Authorities

Business owners in Mercato, the largest open market, were left stunned by a sudden gridlock following a consequential decision by authorities to tighten tax administration in the economic hub. The mov...

Nov 16 , 2024

Perfect Storm of Climate, Health, Supply Chain Issues Trigger Resurgent Malaria

Malaria is no stranger to Ethiopia. Every year, the disease poses a public health issue, especially in rural regions where the majority of the population lives in areas conducive to mosquito breeding...

Nov 9 , 2024

Blackouts Plague Residents as Aging Grid Fails to Deliver

Dagmawit Yilma, a mother of three young boys, knows the struggle of Ethiopia's energy crisis all too well. Simple tasks like making breakfast and preparing school lunches have become a daily ordeal th...

Nov 3 , 2024

Schools Disrupted, Dams at Risk

A calm Monday morning on October 7, 2024, took a turn for residents of southern Afar Regional State. An earthquake that rattled the campus caused widespread chaos and fear for students at Sabure Prima...

Oct 27 , 2024

Infrastructure Woes Derail Hosting Football Dream

Ethiopia's football scene is undergoing a transformative period, marked by ambitious aspirations and pressing issues. The country's dream of hosting the 2029 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has ignited...

Oct 20 , 2024

New Bill Breaks Real Estate Brick Walls

Sixty-year-old Alemnesh Nigussu had a dream—to secure three apartments for her children. With a considerable sum of 4.5 million Br, she invested in Purpose Black, a relatively new real estate compan...

Oct 13 , 2024

Coffee Exporters Left Steaming as Central Bank's Forex Grind Brews Trouble

A recent directive is roiling the coffee industry, following the Central Bank's requirement that exporters convert half of their foreign exchange earnings into local currency within 30 days. Exporters...

Oct 6 , 2024

Addis Abeba University's Autonomy Shuts the Door on Brightest Minds

For as long as he could remember, 18-year-old Menase Samuel had dreamed of studying software engineering at Addis Abeba University (AAU). Like many of his peers, he saw AAU as the pinnacle of higher e...

Sep 28 , 2024

Inflation, Insecurity Leave the Tourism Industry Smouldering

For 43-year-old Alemnesh Neri, travels to her hometown of Gumer in central Ethiopia have long been a cherished tradition. Twice annually for the past 22 years, she would make the trip from Addis Abeba...

Sep 22 , 2024

Legacy Businesses Face Succession Struggles, Market Shifts

Heleanna Georgalis never anticipated that she would become the fourth-generation proprietor of Moplaco Trading Plc, a venerable coffee trading company founded in 1897 during Emperor Menelik's reign. B...

Sep 14 , 2024

Holiday Market Dampened by Rising Food Prices

Atkilt Tera, located in the Haile Garment neighbourhood, has not seen its usual activity. The vibrant market stalls for vegetables now stand largely empty, and the scarcity of onions, in particular, h...

Sep 8 , 2024

Online Market Thrives During Festive Season

Mekdes Endale's business journey began after her return from Dubai, where she lived for two and a half years. Like many businesses born out of necessity, she launched Mekdi Surprise & Delivery to...


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Breaking the Chains to Protect the Vulnerable During Painful Reforms

Adanech Abebie, the mayor of Addis Abeba, addressed last week a warm-up session for her pa...

Editorial | Jan 18 , 2025

New Roads Stimulate Post-Dusk Energy, Revamp Evening Scenes

Melese Gizaw, a former soldier from the Derg regime, finds himself drawn to cafes since le...

Featured | Jan 19 , 2025 . By YITBAREK GETACHEW

Traditional Weaving Unravels as Chiffon Takes Over, Demands Dwindle, Costs Rise

Asamenew Arba, a weaver operating from a building housing micro enterprises near Shero Med...

Agenda | Jan 19 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

THREADBARE TRADITIONS, WEAVING UNRAVELS FAST

The looming scarcity of essential imported materials has overshadowed traditional weaving...

Fortune News | Jan 19 , 2025