Safaricom Ethiopia Reports Progress: Investing in Growth, Expanding Access, and Building for the Long Term
May 9 2025
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.
Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia, reflected on the company’s progress and its outlook: “Over the last 12 months, we have increased our customers base and network coverage, thanks to the robust investments and strategic leadership. These positive developments are made possible with the support of the government of Ethiopia, our regulators, our shareholders and our strong team. Notable developments in the country including launching of the capital markets, carrying out forex reforms and opening the financial services sector are excellent indicators to the broader macroeconomic reform efforts that will enhance the private sector’s role in the economy. On our part, we are pleased to note the contributions our business has made in enabling and driving Ethiopia’s digital transformation in communication, connectivity and payments services and will continue to expand our services to support and enable more people to leverage the world-class digital capabilities we provide as we play our part in enabling Ethiopia’s digital future.”
This past financial year saw significant expansion of our network infrastructure, with 4G services now reaching almost 50% of Ethiopia's population through 3,141 strategically deployed sites. The expansion enabled 7.1 million 90 days active data users with each consuming an average of 6.5GB per month. This is a 53% increase in data consumption per user, over the previous fiscal year. By the end of March 2025, we acquired 8.8 million 90-day active voice and data customers, marking a 103% year-on-year increase in our 90-day active customer base.
M-PESA emerged stronger, serving 2.4 million 90-day active customers and processing transactions worth 15.8 billion ETB. New use cases such as fuel payments and inbound international remittances, alongside strategic integrations with banks for services like airtime purchase and utility payments, have broadened the platform’s value.
As a company still in its investment phase, Safaricom Ethiopia incurred an operating loss of about 47 billion ETB. This loss is largely in line with our expectations at this heavy investment stage of the company’s growth, but it also includes the impact of foreign exchange reforms, that we expect to normalize going forward. Notwithstanding, our revenue has grown by 270%, to 7.2 billion ETB in the Fiscal Year 2025, up from 2.7 billion ETB the previous financial year.
Community investment remained a cornerstone of operations, with ETB 100 million allocated to education, health and agriculture initiatives where we donated laptops, routers, with six months of free internet for various schools across the country. We are also proud to note that the Kefeta youth program, which imparts digital skills and provides livelihood training, reached 2 million youth across the country. We continued to support our communities during their times of need including helping the Ashewa community to recover from the unfortunate market fire accident by rebuilding their shops, providing food items to the land slide victims in Gofa zone & earthquake victims in Afar Region, and making a 10 million ETB contribution to the Mekedonia Humanitarian Association.
Safaricom Ethiopia’s annual performance for the fiscal year that ended on 31st March 2025, has laid a strong foundation for the next phase of growth. We remain focused on scaling our impact and building for the future — with confidence, purpose, and a deep commitment to being a reliable partner in the country’s digital transformation. As economic reforms take shape, we will continue to create lasting value, deepen our community impact, and contribute meaningfully to Ethiopia’s long-term prosperity.
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Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC has been recognized as the #1 Top Employer in Ethiopia for the third consecutive year and named Africa’s Top Employer 2026 for the first time
03 February 2026
We are proud to share that Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC has been recognized as the #1 Top Employer in Ethiopia for the third consecutive year and named Africa’s Top Employer 2026 for the first time, with an outstanding score of 98.08%. This milestone reflects our continued commitment to building a people-centered culture where our employees can thrive, grow, and make meaningful impact. As our CEO Wim Vanhellepute shared: “This recognition affirms our commitment to putting our people at the heart of everything we do. It reflects the culture we are building one that empowers our employees, nurtures talent, and creates an environment where everyone can grow and perform.” Thank you to all our employees for making this achievement possible. We are proud to share that Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC has been recognized as the #1 Top Employer in Ethiopia for the third consecutive year and named Africa’s Top Employer 2026 for the first time, with an outstanding score of 98.08%. This milestone reflects our continued commitment to building a people-centered culture where our employees can thrive, grow, and make meaningful impact. As our CEO Wim Vanhellepute shared: “This recognition affirms our commitment to putting our people at the heart of everything we do. It reflects the culture we are building one that empowers our employees, nurtures talent, and creates an environment where everyone can grow and perform.” Thank you to all our employees for making this achievement possible.
British Foreign Secretary Visits Safaricom Ethiopia, Underscoring UK Commitment to Investment and Job Creation
02 February 2026
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.
Demystifying Excellence at the 4th Excellence Summit 2026
26 January 2026
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.