Safaricom Ethiopia Pushes Launch to August


Safaricom Ethiopia Pushes Launch to August

Safaricom Ethiopia Plc executives, led by Anwar Sousa, have pushed their commercial operations start date to August 2022. The company has announced it will begin providing services as part of a test launch in Dire Dawa town in the coming weeks. Safaricom Ethiopia chose Dire Dawa, 550Km east of the capital, because the network infrastructure has been set up there, according to Matthew Harrison-Harvey, chief external affairs and regulatory officer. A press release from the company says it plans to expand its pilot launch to 24 towns. It has thus far invested close to one billion dollars in its venture, including the 850 million dollar fee it paid to acquire the country's first private telecom operator's license last year. Safaricom Ethiopia had initially scheduled the launch of commercial operations for April this year. However, prolonged infrastructure sharing negotiations with the state-owned Ethio telecom have been causing delays.


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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...


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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...


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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...