Safaricom Ethiopia has marked five years since it received a full-service Unified Telecommunications Service License from the Government of Ethiopia on 9 July 2021, having surpassed 15 million 90-day active subscribers during this period.
The milestone comes less than four years after Safaricom Ethiopia commenced commercial operations in October 2022, following an initial period focused on establishing the business, building its network, and putting in place the sales and distribution infrastructure required to serve customers across the country.
Surpassing 15 million 90-day active subscribers within four years of commercial operations represents one of the fastest customer growth journeys among new telecom operators that have built their networks and customer bases from the ground up.
“Since receiving our license, we have built more than 3,500 network sites, with our network now reaching around 60% of the country’s population. All our sites are 4G-enabled and 5G-ready, making our network state-of-the-art. This represents one of the fastest network rollouts by a greenfield telecom operator in Africa, and one of the fastest globally for a new entrant building a nationwide network from scratch.” Said Wim Vanhelleputte, Chief Executive Officer, Safaricom Ethiopia
Safaricom Ethiopia’s network footprint now stretches across the country, increasingly bringing high-quality connectivity to smaller towns and communities and helping more Ethiopians participate in the digital economy.
The company’s rapid scale-up stands out in Africa, with more than 15 million 90-day active subscribers and over 3,500 network sites established within five years of receiving its license.
The rapid growth in the customer base and business is also bringing Safaricom Ethiopia closer to financial breakeven. After five years of significant investment in network infrastructure, distribution, technology, and operations, the company is approaching breakeven as its growing customer base and revenues continue to strengthen the business.
The liberalisation of Ethiopia’s telecommunications sector has also had a significant impact on the wider economy and digital ecosystem. Over the past five years, connectivity has expanded, the pace of digitisation has accelerated, internet speeds and data consumption have increased significantly, and digital payments have expanded across the country.
“We have also witnessed the emergence of world-class talent in information technology in Ethiopia, and we have played our part in supporting that journey. Beyond the impact of our core business, we have directly invested ETB 139 million in community development and support, while our shareholders and partners have contributed an additional ETB 545 million. This brings the total investment in communities to ETB 684 million over the past four years of our operations.” Said Wim
Safaricom’s entry into the Ethiopian market has therefore created impact across multiple layers, from expanding connectivity and accelerating digital financial inclusion to supporting communities, developing local talent, and contributing to the country’s ongoing digital transformation.
