Ethiopian messaging platform AfroMessage says it has powered more than 407.8 million A2P SMS messages for businesses and organizations across Ethiopia since April 2021, highlighting the potential foreign exchange savings generated by locally provided messaging infrastructure. According to figures shared by AfroMessage, the 407.8 million-plus messages correspond to approximately $139.7 million in potential international SMS
Electric mobility startup Dodai has raised $13 million in a Series A financing round to accelerate the deployment of electric motorbikes and battery-swapping infrastructure across Ethiopia. The round consists of $8 million in equity and $5 million in debt, with participation from a mix of international investors including British International Investment (BII), Value Chain Innovation
We no longer live in a merely digital age. We live in an age defined by artificial intelligence, data, and exponential change. Problems that once consumed entire industries, access to information, basic automation, even communication, have quietly faded into the background. They no longer bother us. But progress does not eliminate problems; it reshapes them.
Awash Bank has launched a new platform, MESMER Digital Lending, aimed at expanding access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through a fully digital system. The platform allows SMEs to apply for loans via the Awash Birr Pro mobile application or by dialing *901#, streamlining the lending process and reducing barriers to credit
In the heart of Addis Ababa, inside a modest bedroom without the glamour of Silicon Valley or the buzz of venture capital meetings, 24-year-old Bereket Engida was quietly crafting what many developers now call the best authentication tool they’ve ever used. That tool — Better Auth — just raised $5 million in seed funding from
In a sweeping policy shift aimed at modernizing public service delivery and expanding digital financial access, the Ministry of Finance has issued Directive No. 1069/2025, requiring all federal government offices to accept payments from all licensed payment service providers. The directive, signed by Finance Minister Ahmed Shide and published on the Ministry’s official website, legally
Dashen Bank has announced that it has disbursed over 1 billion birr in loans through its MESMER program, a financing initiative aimed at supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Ethiopia. The figure, according to the bank, reflects only the loans issued under the MESMER program and does not include other MSME-related lending. The
2018 Federal Budget Approval During its 47th regular meeting on May 28, 2025, Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers reviewed and approved the draft budget proclamation for the 2018 fiscal year (Ethiopian Calendar). The budget, nearing two trillion birr, was prepared based on the Ten-Year Development Plan, the 2018-2022 Medium-Term Macroeconomic and Fiscal Framework, and an evaluation
Dashen Bank has officially introduced a new digital fuel payment solution through its Super App, enabling customers to make seamless fuel payments at participating gas stations. This initiative marks a significant step toward modernizing payment systems in Ethiopia’s fuel distribution sector. According to Dashen Bank’s Acting CEO, Ayele Teshome, the new service allows customers to
In a move that marks another milestone in Ethiopia’s digital transformation journey, Ethio telecom has officially launched Zemen GEBEYA, a national e-commerce platform aimed at connecting producers, merchants, and consumers across the country. The new platform — integrated within the telebirr SuperApp — is positioned as a unified digital marketplace designed to support Micro, Small,
Ethiopia’s Kifiya Financial Technologies has been named one of the world’s top three innovations in ethical finance at the 7th Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge & Awards (EFICA), hosted by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) in collaboration with the London Stock Exchange Group. Kifiya’s Halal Gebeya, a Sharia-compliant digital finance marketplace, earned global recognition for its
Ethiopia’s remittance landscape is seeing a major innovation with the launch of FrankRemit, a new digital platform offering instant money transfers to Ethiopia from abroad. The platform, operated by fintech players connected to SantimPay, officially went live this week, according to a public announcement on social media and details published on FrankRemit’s official website. FrankRemit
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