Safaricom Ethiopia has announced the appointment of Andualem Admasie, the former CEO of Ethio Telecom, as the new head of External Relations.
This strategic move follows the departure of Ambassador Henok Tefera Shawol, who previously held the position and has now joined Boeing as the Director for Africa.
Andualem brings a wealth of experience to his new role at Safaricom Ethiopia, having previously served as CEO of Ethio Telecom, where he was instrumental in the growth and modernization of Ethiopia’s telecommunications sector.
His appointment is expected to strengthen Safaricom Ethiopia’s efforts in expanding its market presence and fostering international partnerships, especially as the company continues its ambitious growth plans in the Ethiopian telecom sector.
Prior to joining Safaricom, Andualem was involved in leading a newly established telecom company in South Sudan, which he co-founded with other partners.
This experience further underscores his deep expertise in the telecommunications industry and his capacity to drive innovation and expansion.
Safaricom Ethiopia launched its first telecom services in Dire Dawa in August 2022, marking a significant milestone in Ethiopia’s telecommunications landscape.
The company has set ambitious targets, aiming to provide services to 50% of Ethiopia’s population within the next three years and to cover 98% of the population within the next decade.
To achieve this, Safaricom has committed $1.5 billion for network expansion over the next three years.
As part of its expansion strategy, Safaricom Ethiopia plans to install 5,000 new network towers across various parts of the country.
The company is currently providing services using over 2,500 network towers, of which 1,500 were built by Safaricom itself.
This infrastructure development is crucial for meeting the growing demand for telecommunications services in both urban and rural areas of Ethiopia.
While Safaricom has initially been using Ethio Telecom’s infrastructure through a network-sharing agreement, the company has been gradually building its own independent network lines, enhancing its service reliability and coverage.
In a related development, Safaricom’s former head of External Relations, Ambassador Henok Tefera, was appointed as Managing Director for Africa at Boeing in January of this year.
Ambassador Henok, who previously served as Ethiopia’s Ambassador to France, is now responsible for overseeing Boeing’s business operations and partnerships across Africa.
He is based in Addis Ababa, where Boeing has established its African headquarters, and works closely with Kuljit Gata-Aura, Boeing’s President for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa.
Ambassador Henok’s role at Boeing highlights the growing significance of Africa in the global aviation industry, as Boeing seeks to strengthen its presence and operations on the continent.
