How a telecom carrier spearheads the telebirr mobile money transformation of Ethiopia

Ethio telecom, a pioneer and giant telecom service provider in Africa, has served Ethiopia for the last 129 years. As a leading brand with a customer base of 72 million, it has played an enabling role in the multifaceted development of the country. It is the second largest of the 195 telecom operators on the African continent, and the 21^st largest of the 774 operators worldwide.

Broadening its business horizons by looking to digital finance, Ethio telecom launched its Mobile Money service under the brand name ‘telebirr’ in May 2021. A major focus was to address the financially excluded and underserved segment of Ethiopian society and bridge the gap in the country’s digitalization efforts.