British Foreign Secretary Visits Safaricom Ethiopia, Underscoring UK Commitment to Investment and Job Creation Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 1 February 2026 – Safaricom Ethiopia today hosted the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, during her official visit to Ethiopia, highlighting the growing role of British investment in supporting economic development and job creation in the country. The visit reflects Safaricom Ethiopia’s position as one of the most significant British-linked investments in Ethiopia, with British International Investment (BII) and Vodafone as part of its shareholders. The Foreign Secretary was accompanied by a delegation of British investors and representatives from the British Embassy. Other major British companies operating in Ethiopia, including MOENCO and Unilever, were also in attendance and briefed the Foreign Secretary on their ongoing investments and contributions to the local economy. Welcoming the delegation, Safaricom Ethiopia’s Chief Executive Officer, Wim Vanhelleputte, provided an overview of the company’s rapid growth, expanding network footprint, and its impact on employment and digital inclusion across the country. “We were pleased to welcome Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to Safaricom Ethiopia,” said Wim Vanhelleputte. “Her visit is a strong signal of the continued confidence and support we receive from our shareholders and partners. It also reflects the importance of long-term, responsible investment in building sustainable businesses and meaningful economic opportunities.” The Foreign Secretary’s visit forms part of a broader assessment of how investment can support economic opportunity and address the root causes of irregular migration. Safaricom Ethiopia is among the largest private-sector employers in the country, directly and indirectly supporting more than 20,000 jobs through its operations, partners, and distribution network. Safaricom Ethiopia continues to play a central role in Ethiopia’s digital transformation, contributing to financial inclusion, connectivity, and job creation, while reinforcing the strong economic ties between Ethiopia and the United Kingdom.

We are deeply honored to receive the Platinum Level Taxpayer Award for the third consecutive year!  At Safaricom Ethiopia, we believe that paying taxes is more than a legal duty, it’s a reflection of our commitment to national growth and patriotism.  This recognition inspires us to continue contributing to Ethiopia’s development and prosperity.

Demystifying Excellence at the 4th Excellence Summit 2026 Safaricom Ethiopia’s CEO, Wim Vanhelleputte, participated in a high-level panel discussion at the 4th Excellence Summit 2026, joining Mesfin Tasew, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, and Bart De Keninck, CEO of Heineken. The session brought together leaders from organizations recognized for outstanding performance across sectors. All three companies were winners at the 12th Ethiopian Quality Awards, presented on December 2, 2025, by His Excellency Taye Atske Selassie, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, in recognition of excellence in quality, leadership, and organizational performance. Drawing on Safaricom Ethiopia’s journey, Wim highlighted the value of operating within a well-established international industry, where proven standards and processes already exist. He emphasized that leveraging these frameworks enabled Safaricom Ethiopia to build a strong foundation efficiently, without the need to reinvent systems from scratch. He stressed that excellence begins with getting the fundamentals right starting with people. Investing in young talent with the right mindset, providing continuous coaching, and complementing them with experienced leaders are critical to building resilient and high-performing organizations. Wim also underscored the importance of operational clarity and focus. For Safaricom Ethiopia, priority was given to building core infrastructure and a reliable distribution network, supported by a strong ecosystem and clear standards for partners and contractors. Sustainable progress, he noted, is achieved by addressing challenges step by step rather than attempting to do everything at once. Reflecting on the Ethiopian Quality Award assessment, Wim described the process as rigorous, scientific, and well-structured, guided by a clear and detailed methodology. He shared that the Safaricom Ethiopia team is already preparing to ensure an even stronger performance in the upcoming assessment cycle. At the heart of Safaricom Ethiopia’s excellence journey is strong people management driven by effective leadership, clear processes, and empowered teams anchored in the company’s purpose of transforming lives for a digital future. The summit served as a valuable experience-sharing platform, fostering dialogue and learning among leading organizations committed to excellence.

Safaricom Ethiopia Won first Rank at the Ethiopian Quality Award. We are proud to announce that we have secured 1st Rank at the prestigious Ethiopian Quality Award, a level of recognition that signifies fully satisfying the national quality standards. Our CEO, Wim Vanhelleputte received the award from FDRE President H.E. Taye Atskesellasie, marking a significant and proud moment for the entire organization.

Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC has announced the appointment of Ermias Eshetu as Chairman of its Advisory Board, effective 10 November 2025. This appointment marks a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing effort to place more Ethiopians in senior leadership and decision-making roles. Ermias joined the Safaricom Ethiopia Advisory Board as its first Ethiopian member on 21 March 2025. His elevation to Board Chairman represents a new chapter in the company’s localization and leadership development journey. In his new role, Ermias will lead and coordinate the Board to ensure its effectiveness. As the Board Chairman, Ermias will also represent the company externally.

Safaricom Ethiopia launches Safaricom Ethiopia TechStart, an ambitious nationwide initiative aimed at equipping 125,000 young Ethiopians with essential digital and future-ready skills over the next three years. The program aligns with the company’s commitment to "Transforming Ethiopian Lives to a Digital Future" and aims to create a strong foundation for Ethiopia’s next generation of tech-savvy talent.

Safaricom Ethiopia is proud to announce the official formation and registration of the Safaricom Ethiopia Foundation, marking a new phase in the company’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development. The Foundation, now formally registered under the Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO), will serve as a structured platform to mainstream Safaricom Ethiopia’s social investments and expand its reach across five core areas: education, health, digital inclusion, economic empowerment, and emergency response.

Safaricom Ethiopia reaches a major milestone serving 10 million 90 days active customers across Ethiopia, just four years after receiving its license to operate. This marks a significant step forward in the company’s commitment to supporting Ethiopia’s digital transformation by building inclusive, high-quality mobile connectivity that empowers everyone, everywhere, and all the time.

Safaricom Ethiopia demonstrated strong performance across multiple operating metrices for the financial year ended 31st March 2025 (FY25), including increasing commercial momentum, continued expansion infrastructure across the country, and deeper community engagements, whilst navigating the short-term impact of the macroeconomic reforms.

M-PESA Safaricom launches a new digital payment service that allows customers to Pay for Fuel with M-PESA, starting today at Bole Total Fuel Station in Addis Ababa. The service enables motorists to pay for fuel quickly and securely using their mobile phones. This launch marks another milestone in Ethiopia’s digital journey. M-PESA Safaricom is proud to start at Bole Total Station and is working quickly to scale across all 2,000 fuel stations in Ethiopia. Station owners, fuel attendants, drivers, and customers are invited to embrace the service and be part of building a smarter, cashless future.

The first cohort of 38 students of the transformative technology training program by Safaricom Ethiopia, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Gebeya, successfully completed their six-month trainings and celebrated their graduation on Sunday, 24 March 2024.

Safaricom M-PESA partners with LakiPay Financial Technologies S.C. (LakiPay) to enhance digital payment services in Ethiopia to enabling merchants and consumers to access seamless, secure, and efficient digital financial solutions.

Safaricom Ethiopia and Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) signed a five-year lease agreement to share dark fiber-optic on March 10, 2022. Over the course of few decades, EEP has built a network of Optical Ground Wire (“OPGW”) cables along high voltage transmission lines.

Safaricom M-PESA, along with other financial service provider, has signed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Ministry of Health (MoH) of Ethiopia to transform healthcare payments through a secure, efficient, and scalable digital payment system. This partnership aims to enhance financial inclusion, streamline healthcare payments, and improve service delivery nationwide.

Safaricom Ethiopia partnered with UNICEF’s U-Report platform through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer free SMS services to U-Report members across Ethiopia for one year. This collaboration is a key step in Safaricom’s mission to empower Ethiopian youth, particularly in rural areas, by providing access to crucial information and enhancing communication networks.

H.E. Angela Rayner, the right Honorable Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, visited Safaricom Ethiopia’s headquarters in Addis Ababa. The Deputy Prime Minister warmly welcomed by Safaricom Ethiopia CEO, Wim Vanhelleputte and leadership team.

M-PESA Safaricom Mobile Financial Services PLC has entered into a strategic partnership with Dashen Bank S.C. and CashGo to enhance international remittance services. This collaboration will provide a seamless, secure, and efficient way for Ethiopians to receive money from abroad directly into their M-PESA mobile wallets.

Safaricom M-PESA has entered a strategic partnership with Awash Insurance, Ethiopia’s leading private insurance provider, to integrate its services into the M-PESA payment platform. This collaboration will enable Awash Insurance to offer its customers secure, efficient, and convenient mobile payment options for insurance-related transactions.

Safaricom M-PESA, enters a new strategic partnership with Nyala Insurance to integrate Nyala Insurance into the M-PESA ecosystem, allowing the company to offer its customers secure, efficient, and seamless mobile payment options for insurance services.

Safaricom M-PESA Mobile Financial Services PLC is proud to announce its partnership with Ethiopian Airlines Group to integrate M-PESA into Ethiopian Airlines’ fly gate payment system.

Safaricom Ethiopia proudly announces the launch of its network in Assosa, marking another milestone in its journey to bring reliable, high-quality connectivity to all corners of the country.

Safaricom Ethiopia expands its network coverage to Nekemte, Oromia region, bringing enhanced connectivity and digital financial services to communities in Western Ethiopia.

Safaricom Ethiopia welcomed the Honorable Members of Parliament as the first private foreign company to be visited by a Standing Committee of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR), marking a significant milestone in Ethiopia’s private sector engagement with government stakeholders.

Safaricom Ethiopia welcomed the Honorable Members of Parliament as the first private foreign company to be visited by a Standing Committee of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR), marking a significant milestone in Ethiopia’s private sector engagement with government stakeholders.

Safaricom Ethiopia joins forces with JICA, Lersha, and Hibret Bank to Improve Access to Finance for Farmers in Sidama Region

Safaricom Ethiopia is pleased to announce the expansion of its network coverage across the Somali Region, fully covering Gode, Kebridehar, Kebribeya, Degehabur, Wajale, Awbare, and towns in between.

A delegation from Safaricom Ethiopia, led by our CEO Wim Vanhelleputte, participated in the launch of the GSMA report titled "Driving Digital Transformation of the Economy in Ethiopia."

M-PESA Kenya expands its International Money Transfer Services to Ethiopia. M-PESA Kenya’s service expansion to Ethiopia will enable customers make mobile money transactions from Kenya to Ethiopia via M-PESA Global.

Safaricom Ethiopia’s half year performance results of FY2025 (April 2024 – September 2024) registered accelerated commercial momentum with significant leap in both mobile (GSM) and M-PESA services.

Andualem Admassie (PhD) joins Safaricom Ethiopia as the new Chief External Affairs Officer. With a distinguished background in telecommunications and technology, Dr. Andualem is set to bring his extensive experience to the Safaricom Ethiopia team.

M-PESA Safaricom and Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) have announced a strategic partnership that enables EEU post paid customers to conveniently settle their monthly electric bills using the M-PESA mobile money service.

M-PESA Safaricom partners with Dahabshiil, a leading international money transfer company. This collaboration enables the Ethiopian Diaspora send money directly to the M-PESA mobile wallets of their family and friends, streamlining the remittance process. This translates to faster transfers and increased security.

Safaricom is excited to announce the launch of its commercial operations in the Tigray region, marking a significant step in our mission to provide reliable network services across Ethiopia.

Safaricom Ethiopia is proud to announce the receipt of the first batch of 13 locally manufactured telecom towers from Woda plc. This significant milestone marks the beginning of a new era in the Ethiopian telecommunications industry, with local manufacturing playing a pivotal role in our infrastructure expansion.

M-PESA Safaricom today announced a strategic partnership with Eaglelion System to facilitate the integration of merchants in Ethiopia onto the EagleLion Merchant Management System.

Safaricom M-PESA Mobile Financial Services Plc and Arifpay Financial Technologies s.c have signed an agreement to provide M-PESA services on Arifpay’s payment systems. The agreement enables customers and merchants to utilize M-PESA Services to make and receive different payments through Arifpay’s online payment system and Arifpay Point-of-Sale (ArifPOS).

We are glad to inform our customers that the timeframe for updating all Safaricom Ethiopia SIM Cards to access emergency services has been extended from 31 March to 30 June 2024.

M-Pesa Safaricom signed an International Money Transfer Agreement with Onafriq, the largest payments network in Africa, to help streamline remittance flows to Ethiopia from all over Africa, Europe, North America, and Australia.

We will be updating all Safaricom Ethiopia SIM Cards to access emergency services from 19 February – 31 March 2024.

M-PESA Safaricom, launches a 90 Days National Lucky Draw Promotion to reward over one million M-PESA customers, agents and merchants who register and transact on M-PESA, from 11 December 2023 to 11 March 2024.

Safaricom M-PESA Mobile Financial Services PLC and Abay Bank signed a partnership agreement for super agency, retail agency, and mobile banking services.

M-PESA, Safaricom Ethiopia’s Mobile Financial Services, goes live today three months after receiving the Payment Instrument Issuer License from the National Bank of Ethiopia. In preparation for launch, M-PESA has undergone a rigorous three-month pilot and testing, completed the technical readiness, secured key partnerships with Banks, recruited, trained, and onboarded M-PESA agents.

After four months of exciting engagement with our customers, the Terek Begursha national promotion came to an end on 3 August 2023 following the final draw of prizes on the day.

The Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia (MInT), Sumitomo Corporation, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc (Safaricom Ethiopia), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have officially signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (Memorandum).

Safaricom Ethiopia has extended the ‘Terek Begursha’ Promotion by one month. Terek Begursha national promotion set out to award more than one million customers and will now end on 3 August 2023, instead of 4 July 2023. This extension will allow participation of customers in the towns that have recently started to enjoy the 07 network.

Safaricom Ethiopia and Prepay Nation signed a partnership to offer international mobile top-up, enabling Ethiopians living abroad to send mobile airtime to their family and friends on Safaricom Ethiopia's network. The partnership will allow Ethiopians living in over 150 countries to top up the mobile airtime of their friends and family in Ethiopia quickly and easily.

Safaricom Ethiopia through its newly established and wholly owned subsidiary; Safaricom M-PESA Mobile Financial Services PLC (Private Limited Company) received the Payment Instrument Issuer License from the National Bank of Ethiopia that enables it to avail mobile financial services to its customers under the trademark M-PESA.

Safaricom Ethiopia has today announced and awarded the first winners of a Bajaj, and multiple devices in its Terek Begursha national promotion.

Safaricom Ethiopia has today launched its first national consumer promotion that will see over one million customers rewarded for joining and using products and services on the 07 network.

Safaricom Ethiopia and Commercial Bank of Ethiopia have signed an MoU outlining a strategic partnership to utilize the potential of the institutions’ capacities and enhance the financial service delivery of the Bank to jointly contribute to the country’s digital and financial inclusion agenda.

Safaricom Ethiopia has launched a strategic partnership with various banks for mobile airtime top-up service to provide ease and convenience to customers on the 07 network.

Safaricom Ethiopia has launched a strategic partnership with various banks for mobile airtime top-up service to provide ease and convenience to customers on the 07 network.

Safaricom Ethiopia switched on its network and services in Hawassa city yesterday; the company also expanded its services to Assela, Jigjiga, Sodo and Dilla cities over the past few weeks.

Safaricom Ethiopia has registered 1 million active customers on its network, marking a key milestone in operations as it establishes its network across Ethiopia.

Safaricom Ethiopia has switched on its network and services in five additional cities as it advances its network coverage across the country.

Safaricom Ethiopia has today switched on its network and services in Addis Ababa and will hold a national launch ceremony, following a successful series of customer network pilots in 10 cities across Ethiopia.

Safaricom Ethiopia has today rolled out a large-scale customer pilot of its network in the Oromia region, starting with Haromaya City.

Safaricom Ethiopia and the Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC) signed an agreement today for the transfer of developed land inside the IPDC-ICT park through a sub-lease agreement.

Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC (Safaricom Ethiopia) is on course to a phased launch of its network and services in Ethiopia and is conducting rigorous tests to ensure the provision of quality services. The phased commercial launch will commence from August 2022, switching on the network in 25 cities across the country when ready by April 2023, starting with Dire Dawa.

Safaricom Ethiopia has extended its large-scale customer pilot to Bahir Dar and Adama cities. This recent addition marks the 4th and 5th cities in Ethiopia to test Safaricom Ethiopia’s network, following Dire Dawa, Harari and Haramaya phased city-by-city customer pilots in the last month.

Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC (Safaricom Ethiopia) has today announced a countrywide staff recruitment drive and introduced its leadership team as it affirmed its commitment to investing in Ethiopia’s digital future ahead of its commercial launch.

Safaricom Ethiopia placed itself as a thought leader at the Innovation Africa Digital (IAD) Summit 2022 that was held on May 11 - 12, 2022 at Sheraton Addis Hotel.

Safaricom Ethiopia has today announced and awarded the first grand prize winner of a car, winners of a Bajaj, two motorcycles and multiple devices in its national Terek Begursha promotion.

Safaricom Telecommunication Ethiopia Plc hosted members of Ethiopian media at its Data Center in Kality, Addis Abeba. The aim of the session was to update the public on Safaricom Ethiopia’s key technology progress as it continues to build the telecommunication network.

Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc and National ID- Ethiopia (NID) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement in April 2022, that would enable the setup of joint pilots for registration and E- KYC integration. This strategic partnership will contribute to meeting Ethiopia’s digital objectives in line with the Digital Strategy 2025.

Held in the international women’s week, the Safaricom women first 5k turned out to be the most vibrant and high decibel moment of the year. With 10,000 women gathered to walk, run and enjoy the 5k run, the energy levels were incredible.

A team from our Digital Financial Services (DFS) and Regulatory and the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) set out to Kenya and Tanzania so that the regulator gets to see the mobile finance experience of other countries.

Safaricom Ethiopia has today rolled out a large-scale customer pilot of its network in the Harari region. Harari region plays a vital role in our phased city-by-city regional network roll-out and rigorous service tests building towards our national launch.

Safaricom Ethiopia and GoE Ministries agree to form a taskforce that oversees cooperation, delivery and mutual understanding in the journey to the former’s launch of operation.

The Global Partnership for Ethiopia (GPE) has today appointed Mr. Anwar Soussa as the Managing Director (MD) of the Operating Company in Ethiopia, effective 1st July 2021. He will report to the Board of the Ethiopia entity and Safaricom PLC CEO.

Safaricom Ethiopia Managing Director, Anwar Soussa, had the honor of participating in the closing panel session at the Innovation Africa Digital Summit 2021. He spoke on the international and local expertise that we are leveraging to support a Digital Ethiopia.