Eth-Switch Secures $2.3m to Diversify Digital Services

Mar 13 , 2021


Eth-Switch, the company owned by a consortium of all banks including the National Bank of Ethiopia, which operates the national payment switch, received a 2.3-million-dollar grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The grant will be used to facilitate the design and use of digital financial services, including the digital distribution of payments such as social benefits, pensions and other government payments, e-commerce, the transport system and utility bills. The project will be implemented over a three-year period. The grant is resourced from the special fund of the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI), a pan-African initiative that aims to facilitate digital financial inclusion for an estimated 332 million of the unbanked population across the African continent, almost two-thirds of whom are women. "The Eth-Switch project is braced to change the digital payments landscape in Ethiopia, and ADFI is happy to invest toward that impact,” said Sheila Okiro,  fund coordinator at ADFI, which was launched in June 2019 in partnership with the French Development Agency; the governments of France and Luxembourg; the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and the AfDB, which also hosts the fund.  


Radar

With New Tariffs, Trump Upends Decades-Old Ethiopia Trade Preferences

The Trump Administration has unexpectedly included Ethiopia in the list of countries subjected to new trade measures, imposing a 10pc levy on Ethiopian imports into the United States while granting a reciprocal 10pc tariff on American goods headed to Ethiopia. The move marks an unanticipated shift in Washington's approach to Addis Abeba, which for years benefited from duty-free access under the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA). The tariff-free provisions had propelled apparel expor...


Radar

Unilever Ethiopia Eyes Triple Sales Under New Executive

Unilever Ethiopia plans to triple its annual sales within the next five years, aiming to reach 200 million euros. The growth push is led by 42-year-old Nesibu Temesgen, who took the top job this month, as the first Ethiopian national to claim the top executive position in the company. Unilever, a multinational company operating in more than 190 countries, established its Ethiopian presence in 2014. From its base in the Eastern Industrial Zone near the town of Modjo, the firm produces recognis...


Radar

EU Grants Ethiopia a 240 Euro to Support Key Sectors

Financial Assistance Targeted at Agribusiness, Digital Expansion, and Democratic Institutions The European Union (EU) has agreed to provide Ethiopia with a grant of €240 million to support development initiatives across key sectors. This financial assistance will primarily bolster projects in agribusiness, enhance digital competencies, and strengthen democratic institutions. Furthermore, the agreement will support public administration and facilitate efforts to promote stability and reco...