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May 24 , 2025 . By YITBAREK GETACHEW

E-Commerce May Never Be the Same Again

Zemen Gebeya, the digital marketplace that Ethio telecom switched on only two weeks ago, is already reshaping the fragile e-commerce scene. In a country where online retail remains a novelty, the platform's arrival has raised a mix of apprehension and cautious optimism among smaller delivery compani...

May 4 , 2025 . By NAHOM AYELE

Curtain Falls on a Capital Stage as Theatre Fights for Its Life

The balcony at the National Theatre, on Churchill Avenue, used to fill up days in advance on a Friday night. Last week, only about 50 patrons clustered in the front rows while dozens of empty seats echoed their applause. Audiences have dropped from 500 or even 1,000 people to only 80 to 200 people a show. Rahel Teshome, who heads the theatre department, remembered the sharp falloff began after the COVID-19 shutdowns and has yet to reverse, even as the theatre house stages more plays than ever. Before the pandemic, the National Theatre mounted four or five productions a week. It now squeezes...


Apr 19 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER

From Cassette, CD Dreams to Cloud Streams

Seven years in the making, Kuku Sebsibie's unmistakably husky alto, “Dejazmach” (love wears a general's crown) is to hit the airwaves. Cueing up as a cavernous Chik Chika beat, the record will arrive not on brittle plastic but on her YouTube channel, a farewell gesture to album-length projects from a singer who once had her albums sold on cassettes from the boot of a blue-and-white taxi. “Albums are exhausting now,” she said. “Everyone streams. So, I'll premiere it online and move on to singles, maybe a talk show.” Kuku is hardly alone. Over the next six months, at least a do...


Apr 19 , 2025 . By YITBAREK GETACHEW

Butchers Bet on Easter Boom as Costs Cut Deep Into Profit

The Easter holiday is around teh corner, and Addis Abeba already gleams with fresh paint. Across the capital, butcher shops that stayed dark during the two-month fasting season lift their shutters, walls newly coated in white and banners pledge on every doorway: “We've started anew.” From Lebu Mebrat Hayl and Haya Hulet to Saris, Summit, Fiyel Bet and Ayat, the colour is more than decoration. Municipal rules treat whitewash as proof of cleanliness, while traders hope the bright surfaces tempt customers who have spent weeks eating vegetables and lentils. The air already smells of "berber...

Feature

Apr 19 , 2025

When Injera Met Sushi & Mandi Displaced Tibs

A narrow alleyway off a dusty road in the Bole Rwanda quarter used to be an afterthought for passersby rushing to the airport. Now, the same passage hums with the clink of cutlery and the chatter of d...

Apr 19 , 2025

Easter Crowds Flock to Flashy Bazaars as Costs Climb With the Hype

A lively Easter bazaar at Meskel Square is the holiday highlight of Addis Abeba's growing appetite for brand-driven events. The scene was energetic, with a DJ blasting music, while families snapped ph...

Apr 6 , 2025

When the Lift Lets Users Down

Late one evening, Hiwot Muluken, 25, stepped unknowingly into an open elevator shaft on the second floor of a condominium in the Bole Arabsa neighborhood. She earned 7,000 Br a month as an office a...

Mar 16 , 2025

Trapped Between Sunlight, Soaring Costs, Farmers Struggle to Ditch Diesel

Fenta Atele gazes at the shrinking shores of Lake Abaya, in Southern Regional State, worry etched on his face. Until recently, the lake's plentiful water allowed him and his fellow farmers to irrigate...

Feb 9 , 2025

Publishing Industry Contends with Soaring Costs, Shifts Digital

Walelgn Ayele, an aspiring young author, faced a harsh reality when he attempted to publish his first book. Printing 1,000 copies of a 450-page book would cost nearly half a million Birr. He quickly r...

Feb 2 , 2025

City Embraces Yoga, Meditation for Wellness

Rihan Demsew, engaged in the import and export trade in Addis Abeba, sought a solution to her work-related stress and long hours, which led her to join a meditation and yoga centre. Rihan also lives w...

Jan 19 , 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 leaving military service. He enjoys listening to music of Mohamoud Ahmed, a sound that accompanies his reflectio...

Jan 19 , 2025

TikTok Powers Business, Impairs Safety

Layne Lemma, a 31-year-old woodworker, initially crafted the Kirar, the traditional string instrument, for a private company. His career took an unexpected turn when he discovered TikTok two years ago...

Jan 19 , 2025

Addis Abeba's Hidden Traps Threaten Public Safety

Sewnet Abel's experience in September last year highlights the hidden dangers of Addis Abeba's streets. On his way home from work near Megenagna, the 33-year-old hotel worker fell into an open manhole...

Jan 12 , 2025

Paper Bag Industry Thrives, Plastic Ban Looms

Bethelhem Dejene has noticed a growing demand for paper bags. After completing a contracted project, she decided to continue producing paper bags with the same team. As the founder and CEO of Zafre...

Jan 5 , 2025

Turning Pages, Breaking Barrier

Ten entrepreneurs reveal the ups and downs of building businesses. From turning coffee waste into oil products to digitizing traditional equb, they share how personal experiences, local problems, and...

Jan 4 , 2025

Christmas Rush Drives Exhibition Boom, Economic Uncertainty Looms

Bazaars and exhibitions are springing up across Addis Abeba, tapping into the festive Christmas shopping season. The Addis Abeba Exhibition Centre is hosting a large Christmas event organised by Robus...

Jan 4 , 2025

Lalibela Struggles to Recover from Pandemic, Conflict Fallout

Lalibela town draws thousands of Ethiopians each year to celebrate Christmas (Genna). Tourism expert Netsanet Teressa, a regular visitor for work, notes that many now prefer flying over driving, citin...

Jan 4 , 2025

Demolition Boosts Cargo Profit, Disarrays Communities

The streets of Abo Mazoria around Mekanisa, once bustling with people, now lie in silence. It is now filled with debris and dust. On the morning of December 26, 2024, the area seemed almost unrecognis...

Dec 15 , 2024

E-bikes' Flat Tyre Seeks Authorities' Goodwill

For Netey Tesfaye, an electric bike offered a chance at a decent living, delivering goods across the bustling city. He used to earn between 350 Br and 450 Br a day, until September when his journey wa...

Nov 16 , 2024

Independent Forex Bureaus Offer Valued Choice

Waktole Abdulahi, a long-time resident of Norway, was relieved when he was able to secure 260 dollars at one of Addis Abeba's newly opened independent forex bureaus. For his travels and securing a yel...


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A Country on Life Support Must Not Neglect Its Healers

Public hospitals have fallen eerily quiet lately. Corridors once crowded with patients' re...

Editorial | May 24 , 2025

E-Commerce May Never Be the Same Again

Zemen Gebeya, the digital marketplace that Ethio telecom switched on only two weeks ago, i...

Featured | May 24 , 2025 . By YITBAREK GETACHEW

When the Rains Come for the Poor

Yohannes Geta spent two years watching the Wyen Amba River trickle past his home in Bole D...

Agenda | May 24 , 2025 . By NAHOM AYELE

URBAN BOOM MEETS DRAINAGE BUST

First came the trickle, then the torrent. On a humid night in late March, a low-lying neig...

Fortune News | May 24 , 2025