Local Firm Buys Into Data Centre

Jan 31 , 2021


[ssba-buttons]

WebSprix, an Ethiopian private internet service provider, has made a significant minority investment in Wingu.Africa's Ethiopian subsidiary. WebSprix, which previously completed a data centre installation project for Bank of Abyssinia, was established in 2011. The two companies are working closely together on their expansion plans to support the development of critical ICT infrastructure in Ethiopia, focusing on shrinking the digital divide, according to Anthony Voscarides, Wingu co-founder and CEO. Wingu.Africa, which broke ground on the country's first carrier-neutral hyper-scale data centre earlier this month, received 15,000Sqm of land at the ICT park in November 2020. East Africa’s first carrier and cloud-neutral data centre group, Wingu has a data centre in Djibouti that has been operational for 10 years. It plans on opening an additional data centre in Adama in the future. An additional three companies, Raxio Data Plc, Red Fox Web Solution and ScutiX, have also managed to obtain data centre spaces at the ICT Park.


Radar

New Directive Tightens Rules for Foreign Employment Agencies

The Ministry of Labour & Skills has issued a directive under the Ethiopian foreign employment framework, setting clear standards for agency size, capital, and operations. Depending on their level, newly established agencies can serve between 10 and over 100 workers a day. Office space requirements range from 100sqm to 700sqm, tied to operational scale. Level-one agencies must hold a paid-up capital of 20 million Br and place a security deposit of 250,000 dollars or its birr equivalent...


Radar

Audit Findings Expose Deepening Gaps in Accountability

A new study reveals that audit irregularities in Ethiopia have continued to rise year after year, driven by weak enforcement and unresolved legacy problems. The finding, commissioned by the Office of the Federal Auditor General (OFAG) and conducted by independent researchers from Addis Abeba University, examined audit reports covering 2009–2023. The study attributes the persistent irregularities to limited accountability, poor follow-up, and reduced audit coverage during political transitio...


Radar

Africa Maritime Conference Sets Sights on Seafaring Innovation

The Ministry of Transport & Logistics has launched the first-ever Africa Maritime Conference, marking a bold move to position landlocked Ethiopia as a continental hub for seafaring innovation at a time of global talent shortages. At a pre-conference briefing, Frans Joubert, CEO of YCF Manning Ltd, underscored Africa's untapped potential in the maritime sector. Of the 1.9 million seafarers worldwide, only four percent are African—despite the continent hosting around 150 maritime academie...