Safaricom Ethiopia has surpassed 15 million 90-day active subscribers, marking a significant milestone less than four years after the operator launched commercial services in October 2022.
Since securing its operating licence, the telecoms provider has deployed more than 3,500 network sites across Ethiopia, extending its coverage to approximately 60% of the country’s population. All of its network sites are 4G-enabled and 5G-ready, positioning the operator to support the country’s growing demand for digital connectivity.
“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 Safaricom Ethiopia Chief Executive Officer Wim Vanhelleputte.
The company is also making progress towards financial breakeven following five years of investment in network infrastructure, distribution, technology and operations. Safaricom has reported a significant reduction in losses from its Ethiopian business and is targeting breakeven in the financial year ending March 2027.
Beyond network expansion, Safaricom Ethiopia has also increased its investment in community development. The company has directly invested US$0.87 million in community initiatives, while its shareholders and partners have contributed an additional US$3.4 million.
Together, these contributions amount to US$4.27 million invested in supporting communities during the company’s first four years of operations.
Vanhelleputte also highlighted the growth of Ethiopia’s technology ecosystem, particularly the emergence of skilled local talent in information technology.
“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,” he said.
