Guest Contribution

Why African Ingenuity Needs Development Finance, Not Just Venture Bets

Development finance is not charity. It’s market-making. It de-risks new ventures, builds trust, and draws in private investors. Africa’s future unicorns will come not just from venture bets.

The VAT Standoff: Political Reality vs Fiscal Necessity in Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s fiscal dilemma: more debt is unsustainable, cuts risk instability, and higher taxes risk backlash. The solution lies in reform closing loopholes, digitalizing collection, and a broad base.

The Super App Hype in Ethiopia Is Outpacing Reality

Ethiopia’s fintech and telecoms are racing to build Super Apps. When users already rely on separate apps for transport, banking, chat, and shopping, there is almost no point in bundling services.

From Badge to Blueprint: Why Ethiopia’s Capital Market Needs More Than a License

Ethiopia’s capital market has opened. But licenses, listings, or exchange memberships do not make a functioning market. Skills, systems, and trust do. Institutions must urgently define their roles.

Ethiopian Banks Rushing for the Capital Market Badge Without a Map

Ethiopia’s banks are racing into capital markets, just as they did with branches, ATMs, and skyscrapers. But without skills, governance, and investor trust, could we be setting the market up to fail?

Merging with Dignity: Lessons for Ethiopia’s Private Banks from Truist

Ethiopia’s private banks were built on trust, not by Wall Street veterans. Now, a 5-billion-birr capital rule, foreign competition, and tight regulations are forcing a shift from legacy to structure.

The Changing FMCG Landscape in Addis Ababa

Corridor development in Addis Ababa brought new roads but also new retail voids. Where markets collapsed, souks returned. We need smarter GTM & RTM strategies to catch up.

It’s Not Just Rates, It’s Roots: Inside the Psychology of Ethiopian Diaspora Remittances

Formal doesn’t always mean safe especially for Ethiopians who migrated under pressure, without documents, or with stories of institutions that failed them. Trust and kinship usually trump formality.