Ethiopia is one of the last "frontier markets" with a
population of over 120 million people making it a rare market
opportunity for strategic investors with long term plans. Despite
recent economic and political challenges, Ethiopia's economy
had fared above regional average over the years.
Since 2019, Ethiopia has seen trends in market opening and
sector liberalization in key sectors, including telecom, digital
financial services, capital markets, and public private
partnerships (PPP). The following are some of the major
opportunities for investors looking to have a first-mover advantage
in new markets.
Telecommunications Service: Following the
liberalization of the telecom sector through Communications Service
Proclamation No. 1148/2019, Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia
Plc (a Vodafone consortium) secured the first private unified
telecommunications license by paying a bid price of USD 850 Million
in 2021. The government also has plans to issue yet another
