Safaricom Introduces Cashless Fuel Payments with M-PESA


Safaricom Introduces Cashless Fuel Payments with M-PESA

Safaricom has introduced a new digital payment service, allowing customers to pay for fuel using M-PESA. The "Pay for Fuel with M-PESA" service was officially launched on May 7, 2025, at the Bole Total Fuel Station on Bole Road. This initiative aims to enhance convenience for drivers by enabling quick and secure transactions without the need for cash or waiting for change. During the launch event, M-PESA CEO Elsa Muzzolini highlighted the significance of this development as a step towards simplifying daily transactions through innovative digital solutions. The service is designed to cater to various users, including cab drivers requiring efficient payment methods during busy schedules, logistics businesses dependent on timely refueling, and families seeking hassle-free ways to manage daily commutes. On May 8, 2025, State Minister of Transport and Logistics, Bareo Hassen, noted that the digital fuel trading system, part of the national fuel reform implemented since 2024, is yielding significant results. He reported that over 430 billion Birr in digital transactions have been conducted since the system's implementation in 2025. The State Minister also urged all institutions to adopt this process and conduct all fuel sales digitally.

[ssba-buttons]

Radar

US Renews National Emergency, Sanctions on Ethiopia

The United States has extended the national emergency and sanctions on Ethiopia for another year under the African Growth & Opportunity Act (AGOA). Signed by President Donald J. Trump, the measure was first declared on September 17, 2021, through an executive order citing the conflict in northern region of the country as an "unusual and extraordinary" threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy. The extension, effective until September 17, 2026, keeps in place restrictions targeti...


Radar

Rockefeller Pitches Clean Cooking to Curb School Meal Emissions

A recent study has revealed the staggering environmental toll of school feeding programs. A single school serving 400 students can burn through the equivalent of 56 hectares of forest each year to fuel cooking. The Rockefeller Foundation flagged the health risks too, with most cooks, predominantly women, breathing smoke levels ten times higher than the World Health Organisation's safe limit. "If every school meal transitioned to clean cooking with electricity and solar, the emissions saved wo...


Radar

Sun-Powered Grid Brings Light to Qunbi District

A new 600KW solar mini-grid in East Hararge'sQunbi district has connected 2,200 households to electricity, marking a milestone in the recent rural electrification push. Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) laid seven kilometres of medium-voltage and 10 kilometres of low-voltage lines, installing four transformers to reach communities long cut off from power. Customers cover only meter and installation costs before accessing the service. The project is part of the national strategy to expand energ...