Ethiopian Business Review – Page 14 – Ethiopian Business Review

The revamping of Meskel Square, turning an abandoned area into Friendship Square, decorating the corridors of main roads, and a new project to be undertaken along the city’s railway have all been done by the current administration to lift the face of the capital. A city that was once insulted by the late Libyan leader Moammar Ghaddafi for being too dirty to host the African Union, has been on a series of facelifting activities in the last couple of years. Beyond aesthetics, the projects also serve individuals, small businesses, and the city administration as a source of income. While these project sites are attracting more and more photoshoots offering beautiful backdrops to seize important moments in citizens’ lives, many fear they have classed out the majority of the city’s residents, writes EBR’s Trualem Asmare.

Ethio telecom

Photo Credit: Samuel Habtab

RedFox Solutions Group launched its data center, RedFox Modular Data Center (RFETH-MDC01), in the country’s ICT Park located in Addis Ababa with Adane Kassaye, CEO, stating that “our goal is to be a pre-eminent data center provider in the region. Redfox builds its data centers in phases; our first modular data center, which is now operational will be followed by our build-to-suite server farm.

Looking to find a solution to retailers’ difficulties of selling-out older products, Qinash mobile and web application that serves as an online discount mall has been developed by Ethiopians. Qinash provides a hybrid service where business owners promote and sell all kinds of discount offers and buyers know where to get the right deals. Instead of the poster on a shop’s window—only seen by people passing by—Qinash allows retail businesses to promote seasonal discounts and unique bundle offers to a much bigger market. In addition, Qinash delivers all sales made through its platform and provides a dashboard where sellers can keep track of their transactions. Qinash takes a 5 to 10Pct commission fee for the promotion, delivery, and tracking service it provides sellers.

Kadisco asianpaints factory inaugurated two showrooms to avail its products to customers in a lounge-type setting. Kadisco, which has been manufacturing paint products since 1968 was originally dealing with adhesive and automobile paints, going on to manufacture adhesive using Italian technology in 1979.

With more than 320 employees, the company operates three factories in the Kality Industrial Park.

Dubai’s Department for Economy and Tourism (DET), in continuation of its ongoing activities in Africa has released dates for its East Africa roadshow, with the Ethiopian edition to be held on September 15. The roadshow will highlight Dubai’s affordable experiences and the diversity of the city’s offerings to key travel partners. Highlights of the roadshow span across travel, hospitality, entertainment and Dubai’s citywide events, with a focus on leisure, family travel, education and medical tourism. Key elements of the event will include breakout network sessions, partner presentations, one-on-one meetings, and medical facility updates.

The International Solar Alliance’s (ISA) Fourth Regional Committee Gathering was held in Addis Ababa—the first for the region—arranged in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Water and Energy (MoWE). In attendance were Ajay Mathur (PhD), Director General of ISA and ministers from Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Ghana, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros, and Somalia. ISA has 107 member countries, including 36 that are actively participating and 6 African signatories.

Amir Aman, an accredited Associated Press video reporter, Thomas Engida, a freelancer journalist, and Tamirat Negera of Terara Network, are some of the names that one can mention to argue that Abiy Ahmed’s (PhD) regime may not be so different from its predecessors when it comes to freedom of expression, after all. One can also add the names of 16 journalists and media personnel who have been imprisoned in a new wave of crack down in the capital Addis Ababa and State of Amhara, with some being subsequently released. Some reports claim that journalists like Temesgen Desalegn of Fitih Magazine might have been physically hurt in the hands of the police.

Africa is home to numerous tertiary institutions, particularly universities, a handful of which are even ranked among the best in the world. This shouldn’t come as a surprise on a continent of over 1 billion inhabitants. Also, the oldest university in the world is the University of al-Qarawinyyin, founded in 859 and located in Fez, Morocco.

Having the highest number of universities, unfortunately, does not signal quality and better educated citizens. Also, the fact that a country has the highest number of universities compared to others, does not necessary mean that all the universities in the country are quality universities.

Not more than 10 oil suppliers were operational in Ethiopia a decade ago. Now that is just history with the number almost quadrupling to 42 in November 2021. Not only this, the ownership structure of these companies has also changed greatly. While oil suppliers established decades ago were largely foreign-owned or big corporates, they are now being replaced by those owned by Ethiopians. But making a profit and staying afloat has not been easy for the majority of them, largely due to the low profit margin set by the government and shortage of forex needed to import lubricants and bitumen, which are more profitable. EBR reprints an updated version of an article published in February 2020, EBR 82.

Beauty and the Business

Ethio telecom’s commencement of the implementation of its newly developed Three-years LEAD Growth Strategy and presentation of its 2022/23 Annual Business Plan.

First Local Private Data Center Welcomes First Client

Qinash Discounts Via E-bikes

New Retail Style for Kadisco asianpaints

Dubai Tourism to Kick Off Road Show

410 MW Solar Park

Gov’t Must Balance Human Rights, Security

Top 10 African Countries with the Highest Number of Universities

Mushrooming Oil Suppliers