Safaricom Ethiopia set for launch in August 2022

Safaricom has announced it will start its operations in Ethiopia next month.

The telco provider has outlined a phased launch of its network and services in August 2022 in Ethiopia’s city of Dire Dawa before expanding to 24 cities across the country in April 2023.

Safaricom Ethiopia's network will comprise of its own infrastructure run alongside wholesale agreements and infrastructure sharing with State-owned rival Ethio Telecom.

“The first beneficiaries of the telecommunication services launch will be in Dire Dawa- a city in Eastern Ethiopia near the Oromia and Somali Region border,” Safaricom said during a press briefing in Addis Ababa Thursday.

“We are committed to building the long-term foundations for our contribution to Ethiopia’s digital transformation geared towards transforming lives for a digital future,” said Safaricom.

The Safaricom consortium which includes Japan’s Sumitomo, South Africa’s Vodafone and UK government CDC Group won the licence with a bid of Sh97.9 billion last year.