Issue 42: Renewable Technology Firm Invest 2.4bn birr 

Origins Business has reported that Green Technologies Ethiopia, a private company working in the electric car space as well as other renewable energy alternatives, has so far invested 2.4 billion birr in its operation.

“Not less than 1,000 electric vehicles assembled in China are in the entry process to Ethiopia. [Another] 500 electric vehicles are in Djibouti port and [are] expected to arrive soon”, the online media quoted Fitsum Deriessa, General Manager of Green Technologies Ethiopia. Read More.

Silicon Valley-based Ethiopians Release Super App for Ethiopians, Eritreans

Intending to provide streamlined information for the Ethiopian and Eritrean communities, Jotika LLC has launched a super app called Kesto.

The Silicon Valley-based mobile, web, and data consulting firm founded by Ethiopians designed the social platform for the two communities to find, share, and consume information, aiming to decrease the gap in information accessibility. Read More.

Fed Set to Tax Growing Ecommerce Space 

Addis Fortune has reported that legal experts from federal agencies are drafting a law to tax transactions made on ecommerce platforms.

With gaps in the existing tax regimes, tech companies operate in a mostly tax and duty-free environment. The latest move comes as the state aims to broaden its tax base as revenues have shrunk.

While electronic transactions have been given legal recognition for two years now, Ethiopia’s law governing VAT does not recognize transactions made through digital platforms. Read More.

How Three Friends Built One of the Largest Tutoring Platforms in Ethiopia

On Haleta Tutor, every tutor’s profile comes with a name, profile picture, education background, service price, and elevator pitch as to why they are the best tutor.

The platform allows parents to filter tutors by price, subject, grade level, and schedule; meanwhile, tutors provide a detailed progress report on each lesson, allowing parents to track their children’s progress. Read how three friends in their early twenties built a web-based tutorial service platform with 450 tutors serving the needs of over 1,000 parents.

Ethio Telecom Ventures into Digital Lottery

Ethio Telecom and the National Lottery Administration have come together to launch a digital lottery product.

Subscribers will be able to buy the digital lottery, dubbed Admas, via telebirr or by sending an SMS to 605. Upon purchase, subscribers receive their lottery ticket number and the drawing date via SMS.

Ethio Telecom’s foray into digital lottery comes just months after the Ethiopian Ministry of Women & Social Affairs stated that it is working to ban betting in the country because it believes it corrupts the youth.

Meet GoodayOn: The Startup Digitizing Ethiopia’s Informal Labor Market.

GoodayOn is a technology company providing a gig connection platform. Goodayon connects service providers such as domestic help, tutors, nannies, maids, painters, plumbers, electricians, brokers, salesmen, and barbers, catering to service requestors.

Read more at Shega about how GoodayOn is changing the way independent contractors operate and the growing gig economy in Ethiopia.