• Ethio Telecom launches “Next Horizon” tech expansion strategy
• Targets fintech, e-commerce, cloud; Telebirr to hit 75M users
• Aims 154% revenue growth, 100M subscribers by 2028

Ethiopia's state-owned telecom operator, Ethio Telecom, launched a new three-year strategy on Tuesday, August 26, to transform the company into a diversified technology provider.

Dubbed "Next Horizon: Digital and Beyond 2028," the plan aims to expand the company's regional and national digital footprint by moving past traditional telecom services and into high-growth areas like fintech, e-commerce, and cloud solutions. The strategy follows the company's recently completed LEAD strategy, which it credits with cementing its market leadership.

Frehiwot Tamiru, Ethio Telecom's CEO, said the new plan follows the company's LEAD strategy (2022-2025), which helped consolidate its leadership in the domestic market. The new program seeks to expand its service portfolio, particularly in fintech, e-commerce, cloud computing, and digital solutions for businesses. Ethio Telecom is also betting on its mobile payment platform, Telebirr, with a target of 75 million users and a projected transaction volume of 21.3 trillion birrs ($149.1 billion) by the end of the period.

This announcement aligns with the Ethiopian government's digital reforms, including the "Digital Ethiopia 2025" strategy and the gradual opening of the telecom market. In recent years, Ethio Telecom has invested in deploying 4G and 5G, extending its fiber optic network, and expanding Telebirr, which already had over 51 million users in 2024. The company has also increased partnerships with financial players like Dashen Bank, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Visa, and Mastercard to strengthen its offerings.

With "Next Horizon," Ethio Telecom aims to grow its subscriber base to 100 million and increase revenue by 154% from the previous period, reaching 842.3 billion birrs. The plan also includes a contribution of more than 250 billion birrs in taxes and 111.3 billion birrs in dividends to the national budget. This strategy could solidify the operator's position against growing competition, particularly from Safaricom and its M-Pesa platform, and establish Ethiopia as a leading digital hub in East Africa.

Samira Njoya