Lion, Thunes Ally for Remittance through Mobile Money

Aug 8 , 2020


A new partnership between Lion International Bank and a Singapore-based cross-border payment provider, Thunes, has enabled remittance transfers through the Bank's Anbessa HelloCash Wallet, a mobile money platform. The launch of this new service will also include a cash pick-up service soon. This will enable the receiver of a transfer to receive cash from an agent of the money transfer provider, Thunes. This is in addition to Anbessa HelloCash Wallet. Currently, Lion has more than 1,500 agents across the country where recipients access their transfers over the weekends as well as in the evenings. The new service is currently available throughout the 264 branches of the Bank. Thunes, a four-year-old fintech firm, provides platforms for real-time transactions and has a presence in more than 100 countries. Lion Bank was established in 2006 and had a gross profit of 695.5 million Br in the last fiscal year. About 35pc of the country's population has access to financial services, according to a 2019 World Bank report.


Radar

Parliament Reviews Bill Allowing Foreign Property Ownership

A draft proclamation that would allow foreigners to own or occupy immovable property in Ethiopia has been submitted to parliament by the Council of Ministers. Designed to attract foreign investment, the draft law plans to ensure that Ethiopian citizens retain their right to land ownership and use. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the draft was among six agenda items discussed and approved during the Council's regular session held on May 2, 2025. The proclamation is e...


Radar

Speeding in the Spotlight as New Safety Drive Begins

The Road Safety and Insurance Fund Service has stated that drivers are responsible for 68 percent of traffic accidents in Ethiopia, with the remainder mainly caused by pedestrians and road conditions. On this topic, the service launched a one-month mass media campaign on last week focused on raising awareness about speeding, the leading cause of traffic accidents. The campaign, under the motto "Slow Down, Speeding Ruins Lives," plans to shed light on the dangers of speeding. Yohannes Lemma, E...


Radar

Askari Metals Secures Five Gold Licenses in Untapped Adola Belt

Askari Metals has acquired 100pc of Rift Valley Metals, gaining five gold exploration licences covering 460sqkm in Ethiopia's Adola Greenstone Belt, part of the southern Arabian-Nubian Shield, a mineral-rich but underexplored region. "The exploration areas—Sakaro, Sakaro West, Lega Dembi South, Megado, and Wayu Boda—lie near Ethiopia's top gold mines, including Lega Dembi and Sakaro, which have produced over three million ounces of gold. The area is known for orogenic gold systems hosted...