The Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA) has approved the registration of 8,000,000 existing shares of Awash Insurance S.C., adding another name to the growing list of non-bank financial institutions entering Ethiopia’s capital market framework.

In a notice dated October 1, 2026, ECMA confirmed it had approved Awash Insurance’s Registration Statement on September 30, 2026, and registered the existing shares held by shareholders.

The registration is made pursuant to Article 75 of the Capital Market Proclamation No. 1248/2021 and Articles 4 and 29 of the Public Offer and Trading of Securities Directive No. 1030/2024, which require all securities offered to the public to be registered with the Authority.

Awash Insurance S.C. is one of Ethiopia’s largest private insurers and is affiliated with the Awash Bank group, whose shares began trading on the Ethiopian Securities Exchange in April 2026 under the ticker AWAB. The insurance arm’s registration follows the broader group’s move into the public capital market and signals that the liberalisation of the insurance sector, which opened to foreign participation earlier this year, is also driving domestic insurers toward greater regulatory and market transparency.

The registration of existing shares does not constitute a public offer or solicitation and does not set a listing date on the ESX. It is the formal step that must be completed before any such offer or listing can proceed.

Source: ECMA