Safaricom Ramps Up Network Expansion with Locally Made Poles

May 25 , 2024


Safaricom Ethiopia has initiated a three-month procurement process to acquire a total of 68 poles from Woda Metal, the first telecom pole manufacturer in the country. The initial batch of 13 poles was delivered last week, marking a milestone as the first use of domestically produced poles in Ethiopia's telecom sector. Wim Vanhellputte, CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia, praised the high quality and affordability of Woda Metal's poles, which will be crucial for their network expansion goals. The company is set to invest two billion dollars over the next two years to establish 7,000 network sites and achieve 85pc national coverage. This ambitious expansion follows its entry into the market with an 850 million dollar license fee and a 600 million dollar investment in network infrastructure.


Radar

Sovereign Fund Reviews Mid-Year Performance of Line Companies, Calls for Strategic Improvements

Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) launched its mid-year performance review for its portfolio companies, displaying mixed results for the first half of the fiscal year. Ethiopian Sugar Industry Group (ESIG) reached 95.3pc of its sales goal, selling 64,190tn of sugar for 6.1 billion Br—a 132pc year-on-year growth—despite capacity and supply issues. The Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE) met 92pc and 97pc of its purchase and sales targets, respectively, stating it has benefitt...


Radar

Digital Pay Uptake Booms Among SMEs, Visa Study Finds

Over 80pc of surveyed small- and medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have started accepting digital payments in the last two years, according to a new Visa report titled, ‘Value of Acceptance: Understanding the Digital Payment Landscape in Ethiopia'. Citing increased convenience, the report indicates reduced fraud risk and improved efficiency as factors in the uptake. A substantial 66pc of these SMEs believe that investing in digital payment technologies will support future business growth. The...


Radar

ILO Tackles Agricultural Wage Gap

The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the Setting Adequate Wages in Agriculture (SAW-A) Project last week, with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development (BMZ), seeking to promote fair wage policies, enhance collective bargaining, and support the establishment of minimum wage mechanisms to improve the livelihoods of agricultural workers. The sector employs over 80pc of Ethiopia's workforce, making it the country's largest employment sec...