Supporting Ethiopia’s digital transformation

Supporting Ethiopia’s digital transformation

Our investment in Safaricom has opened up access to faster, more affordable connectivity for millions of people

 

Ethiopia is home to more than 112 million people, yet until recently its telecoms industry was managed by a single state-owned operator and access to affordable, high-quality connectivity was limited.

In 2021, the Ethiopian Government began opening the telecoms sector to competition. Safaricom Ethiopia, which was founded with investment from a consortium that included BII, was awarded the country’s first mobile network licence.

Since then, Safaricom Ethiopia has rapidly scaled its operations, building over 3,500 network towers and connecting around 13 million people to digital services. Its entry into the market has helped drive wider change: competition has reduced mobile data prices, improved network quality and accelerated the rollout of 4G coverage across the country.

These market-wide effects go beyond the direct impact of a single investment. Safaricom Ethiopia has encouraged further investment and reform across the sector – expanding access to fairer prices and better services for millions of people across Ethiopia.

Investment name: Safaricom Ethiopia
Location: Ethiopia

Investment type: Growth Portfolio

13m+

people connected to digital services through Safaricom Ethiopia

Behind each SIM card there is an individual, a family, a business, and a future.”

Wim Vanhelleputte

CEO, Safaricom Ethiopia

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