Safaricom Execs Confirm April Entry


Safaricom Execs Confirm April Entry

The executives of Safaricom Ethiopia Plc have confirmed the company will begin commercial operations in the coming April. They announced the operator is finalising preparations to enter the market during a tour of its new 100 million dollar modular data centre in the Akaki-Qality District last week. The government stipulated the operator has nine months to launch its commercial operations following the award of a full telecom operator's license last June. Failing to meet the deadline in April would entail a fine for the company. However, the operator, which will be using the "07" prefix for mobile calls, is not obligated to launch its services across the country but in defined economic zones. The Global Partnership for Ethiopia Consortium (GPEC), led by Kenya's Safaricom, acquired the 15-year operator's license for 850 million dollars last year. Safaricom is conducting negotiations for a potential infrastructure sharing deal with the state-owned Ethio telecom.


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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...