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ETHIOPIA · TELECOMS
Key Facts
- —The country Ethiopia is a landlocked East African nation of more than 120 million people, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Its capital, Addis Ababa, is home to the African Union.
- —What happened The board named Tariku Demissie acting chief executive on Sunday 18 October, The Reporter, an Addis Ababa paper, said. He replaces Frehiwot Tamiru, who led the firm for eight years.
- —Why the change Parliament approved Frehiwot Tamiru as Minister of Innovation and Technology on Thursday 8 October, in a wider cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
- —Who is Tariku Tariku Demissie is a senior technology executive at the company who earlier served as chief infrastructure officer, according to The Reporter.
- —The numbers In the year to June 2026, Ethio Telecom’s revenue was about 216 billion birr (about US$1.33 billion), and operating profit reached 92.9 billion birr (about US$574 million), up 47.5%.
- —Who is Ethio Telecom Ethio Telecom is Ethiopia’s state-controlled telecom operator, with roughly 90 million customers. It also runs telebirr, the mobile money service used by 60.6 million people.
- —Still open The board has not said how long the acting period lasts or when a permanent chief executive will be chosen.
Ethio Telecom, Ethiopia’s state-controlled mobile and internet operator, has a new acting CEO. Its board of directors named Tariku Demissie to the post on Sunday 18 October, The Reporter newspaper in Addis Ababa said.
The Ethio Telecom acting CEO takes over from Frehiwot Tamiru, who ran the company for eight years before joining the cabinet. For US investors and aid agencies, the company is Ethiopia’s biggest digital gateway, with about US$1.33 billion in yearly revenue.
Who Is Tariku Demissie
Tariku Demissie comes from inside the company, where The Reporter says he served as chief infrastructure officer. A conference biography lists him as chief technology officer, responsible for network and systems operations.
His background is in building and running networks rather than in finance or sales. That fits a company that still has to extend 4G and 5G across a country of more than 120 million people.
Why Frehiwot Tamiru Left
Frehiwot Tamiru had led Ethio Telecom since 2018, when she became chief executive. Parliament approved her as Minister of Innovation and Technology on Thursday 8 October.
Her move came in a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, which the Rio Times described in its report on the new cabinet. The company made no public statement about a successor in the first days after her appointment.
What the Company Earns
In the year to June 2026, revenue was about 216 billion birr (about US$1.33 billion), over a third higher, The Reporter said. Operating profit rose 47.5% to 92.9 billion birr (about US$574 million), and core earnings hit 113.1 billion birr (about US$699 million).
Data and internet services made up 31.1% of revenue, overtaking mobile voice at 23.5%. The figures use the central rate of 161.8 birr to the US dollar on 20 October 2026.
Telebirr and the Customer Base
Telebirr, the company’s mobile money service, reached 60.6 million customers after adding 8.54 million in the year, The Reporter said. It handled 2.61 billion transactions, up 145.3%.
Active mobile data users rose 10.7% to 51.53 million. Total customers are about 90 million, and the company’s plan aims for 100 million by 2027-28, according to Senegal’s Osiris news site.
The Competition and the Shareholders
Safaricom Ethiopia, the private rival run by Kenya’s Safaricom, had about 14.8 million customers in mid-2026, according to the research firm Omdia. Its roughly 87 million mobile subscribers still dwarf that figure.
Small shareholders have been waiting for their first payout, which the company promised in the Ethio Telecom dividend report of September. A new chief executive will have to deliver it and hold the growth rate.
What It Means for US Readers
This is the largest telecom operator in Ethiopia, a market of more than 120 million people where foreign technology and payment firms want to grow. A change at the top can shift deals on 5G and mobile payments.
Investors in Ethiopia watch the company because it earns foreign currency from roaming and wholesale deals. It earned US$188.48 million in foreign currency in the year to June 2026, The Reporter said.
What Is Not Known
The board has not said how long Tariku Demissie will serve as acting chief executive. It is also open whether he will be confirmed in the post or replaced.
No announcement has covered changes in the management team or the 100 million customer target. The timing of the first dividend is also open.
More: Ethiopia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the new acting chief executive?
Tariku Demissie, a senior technology executive at the company, was named by its board of directors on Sunday 18 October. The Reporter said he previously served as chief infrastructure officer.
Why did the old Ethio Telecom chief leave?
Frehiwot Tamiru was approved by parliament as Minister of Innovation and Technology on Thursday 8 October. She had run the company for eight years.
How much does the operator earn?
Revenue for the year to June 2026 was about 216 billion birr (about US$1.33 billion). Operating profit was 92.9 billion birr (about US$574 million).
What is telebirr?
Telebirr is the operator’s mobile money service, which lets people send money and pay bills by phone. It had 60.6 million customers in the year to June 2026.
Is the acting chief executive permanent?
No, the post is acting, and the board has not said when a permanent chief executive will be chosen.
Sources: The Reporter (Ethiopia), 18 October 2026; The Reporter (Ethiopia), 2025/26 results, 1 August 2026; Connecting Africa, 9 October 2026; Osiris (Senegal), October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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