FORTUNE+ VIDEO SPONSORED CONTENTS ADVERTORIALS FORTUNE AUDIO Fortune Careers TRADE AFRICA Election 2026 New TIME REMAINING UNTIL ETHIOPIA’S NATIONAL ELECTION 0Days 0Hours 0Minutes 0Seconds




Gadaa Bank Inches Closer to Launch

Aug 7 , 2021


[ssba-buttons]

Gadaa Bank, one of dozens of banks in line to join the industry, held its first subscribers meeting last week after having raised 600 million Br in paid-up capital. Since it started selling shares at a par value of 1,000 Br in April 2019, Gadaa has recorded over 1.3 billion Br in subscribed capital from over 30,000 shareholders. A potential investor has to buy a minimum of 20 shares to take part in the venture. Charging shareholders a five percent service fee to cover operational expenditure, Gadaa's promoters have already spent upwards of 34 million Br. The meeting at the Skylight Hotel on August 5, 2021, was attended by Shimelis Abdissa, president of Oromia Regional State, and other senior officials. Enterprises and other business entities based in the Regional State hold a large stake in the Bank. The Oromia Public Enterprise Supervision Agency has pledged 100 million Br to buy shares, while it has already paid 25 million Br. The Oromia Construction Corporation has similarly bought 7.5 million Br worth of shares, subscribed for over 20 million Br more. The Oromia Agricultural Cooperative Federation has subscribed to 10 million Br worth of shares. Though promoters were unwilling to disclose when they expect the Bank to go operational, they stated Gadaa would be providing an interest-free banking window and need-based loans as part of its services. The Bank will also be headquartered in Addis Abeba.


Radar

Liquidity Relief, Reform Pressure Meet as World Bank Prepares Major Budget Support

The World Bank is set to approve a 1.45 billion dollar budget support package for the Ethiopian government on June 25, 2026. The announcement came alongside a high-level consultation at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel, where leaders from the Ethiopian Chambers of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (ECCSA) met with private sector representatives and the National Council. The package follows an earlier 17 billion dollar credit and summer service support allocation. The institution has anchored key...


Radar

Cabinet Approves 502b Birr Budget as City Returns to Federal Subsidy

The Addis Abeba City Cabinet has approved a 502 billion Br budget for the 2026/27 fiscal year, a fiscal plan that marks a return to federal subsidies despite previous claims of municipal self-sufficiency. The budget, now awaiting final ratification by the City Council, incorporates a federal subsidy of more than 74 million Br. This policy reversal follows the 2025/26 mid-year salary revisions for civil servants, implemented to buffer the inflationary impact of the floating Birr on the cost of...


Radar

Global Analytics Meets Local Insight as WAAS Partners With Kantar in Ethiopia Expansion

WAAS International Plc has partnered with global analytics firm Kantar on June 12, 2026, to introduce predictive analytics and consumer tracking tools into the country's corporate market. The collaboration blends Kantar's global methodologies with WAAS's 35-year local data archive to support business leaders operating in a liberalising economy. WAAS Managing Director Efera Busa said the partnership connects global expertise with local context, delivering standardised metrics without losing cu...