ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Safaricom Ethiopia is celebrating a major growth milestone, crossing the 15-million mark in 90-day active subscribers, less than four years after launching commercial operations in the country.
The achievement comes five years after the company was awarded a full-service Unified Telecommunications Service Licence by the Ethiopian government in July 2021.
Since going live in October 2022, Safaricom Ethiopia says it has rapidly expanded its network, establishing more than 3,500 sites across the country and reaching about 60 per cent of Ethiopia’s population.
The company says all its sites are 4G-enabled and 5G-ready, describing the rollout as one of the fastest network expansions by a new telecom operator in Africa.
Safaricom Ethiopia chief executive Wim Vanhelleputte said the pace of network expansion and customer acquisition marked one of the fastest rollouts by a greenfield telecom operator in Africa.
The rapid expansion has also seen connectivity reach smaller towns and communities, opening up opportunities for more Ethiopians to participate in the digital economy.
But beyond subscriber numbers, Safaricom Ethiopia says its entry into the market has contributed to wider changes in the country’s telecommunications and digital landscape.
The liberalisation of the sector has been accompanied by increased internet access, higher data consumption, faster connectivity and the growing adoption of digital payments.
The company is also edging closer to financial breakeven, following years of heavy investment in infrastructure, technology, distribution and operations.
Safaricom Ethiopia says its impact has extended beyond its commercial operations, with ETB 139 million invested directly in community development over the past four years.
Together with contributions from its shareholders and partners, the company says total community investment has reached ETB 684 million.
The operator says it is also contributing to the development of local technology talent, as Ethiopia continues its transition towards a more digitally driven economy.
With more than 15 million active subscribers and a growing nationwide network, Safaricom Ethiopia says its next phase will focus on deepening connectivity and strengthening its role in the country’s digital transformation.
