Issue 79: Bot Payments, Podcasts & E-court

Welcome to our weekly newsletter on Ethiopia’s startup and innovation ecosystem! This week, we bring you the latest news, trends, and insights on the rapidly evolving ecosystem. From new products to government initiatives, here is last week recapped for you.

Chapa Enables Bot Payments on Telegram

The payment processing platform, Chapa, has integrated with Telegram’s bot ecosystem, allowing Ethiopian merchants on Telegram to accept payments from anywhere and at any time. This innovative feature allows users to be charged on the spot, making Chapa the first payment provider in Ethiopia to offer this service. Read more.

Association Rises to Unite Outsourcing Service Providers in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Outsourcing Association has recently been established to represent offshore outsourcing services and providers in the country. The association’s primary objective is to promote Ethiopia as an outsourcing destination worldwide, while also working towards policy framework and talent gap improvements within the industry. Read more.

Feres Expands to Dire Dawa

Feres, one of the top ride-hailing companies in Ethiopia, has extended its services to the eastern city of Dire Dawa. This marks Feres’ first expansion to a regional city.

The other leading platforms, Ride and ZayRide, have also broadened their services beyond the capital, with Ride operating in Debre Zeit and Zayride launching services in Hawassa. Interestingly, ride-hailing platforms are avoiding competition and sharing markets during their countrywide expansion.

Federal Supreme Court Relies on Ethio Telecom to Roll out E-court

The Federal Supreme Court has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Ethio Telecom aiming to enhance the delivery of federal court services using technology.

As per the agreement, that was signed last week, Ethio Telecom will supply a reliable and standardized ICT infrastructure, which will enable stakeholders to access information more easily, ensure transparency in the justice system, and boost citizens’ confidence in the legal process. Read more.

EthSwitch Partners with Mastercard to Boost Ethiopia’s Digital Payments Landscape

EthSwitch, Ethiopia’s national payment switch, has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mastercard, a global payment technology leader, in a bid to drive the digital transformation of the payments sector in Ethiopia. Read more.

The Rise of Podcasting in Ethiopia

Dagem Mekonnen, co-founder and co-host of the popular Gugut Podcast, shares his insights on the evolution of podcasts in Ethiopia, including the rise in podcast popularity and the emergence of personalized and locally relevant content. Read more.

ArifPay Integrates with EthSwitch, Targets Widespread POS Adoption 

Ethiopian payment system operator ArifPay has announced its integration with EthSwitch, Ethiopia’s National Payment Switch. Read more.

Safaricom Ethiopia Launches National Promotion with Prizes Including Cars

Safaricom Ethiopia revealed the debut of its first national consumer promotion, Terek be Gursha, set to reward over one million customers with prizes, including cars, for joining and using Safaricom’s products and services. Read more.

Fintech Unicorn Chipper Cash Sets One Foot in Ethiopia 

Chipper Cash, the Pan-African fintech unicorn that offers a cross-border money transfer platform, has expanded its services in Ethiopia by adding six banks and three mobile money providers to its receiver list. Read more.

Six Students to Represent Ethiopia at Huawei Global ICT Competition Finals

Six Ethiopian students have qualified for the Huawei Global ICT Competition finals, having succeeded in the regional finals, which featured countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Cameroon, and Congo. Read more.

BirdView Brings AI-driven Learning to Ethiopia

Aiming to break down barriers in education and promote equal access, California-based software development firm BirdView has launched Laba, an AI-powered chatbot that allows students to ask questions and receive assistance in their studies. Read more.