Kebour Ghenna Desta is a household name in the Ethiopian business community. He served as President of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce for four years, from 1997 to 2001; and also as President of the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce. Not only that, Kebour is a multidisciplinary professional known for his active role in media leadership, having established the oldest English business newspaper,  Capital, in 1998. He also founded and still serves as the Executive Director of Initiative Africa (IA), a non-governmental organisation known in recent years for organising the Addis International Film Festival (AIFF), Ethiopia’s annual week-long event showcasing documentary films from around the world.

Since 1826, Pittards has been making high quality leather in England. The company set foot in Ethiopia in 2009 when it took over the management of the state owned Ethiopian Tannery. Two years later, the company bought the factory and started supplying leather to the four companies under Pittards Products Manufacturing (PPM). EBR’s Ashenafi Endale sat down with Tsedenia Mekbib, managing director at Pittards Ethiopia, to learn more. 

Established in 1998, EthioAgri-CEFT is a private company operating under MIDROC Ethiopia Investment Group and engaged in the production and processing of various agricultural crops. The company owns two of the three commercial tea plantations currently operating in Ethiopia: WushWush and Gumaro, in South Western part of the country. The company began exporting tea to the global market five years ago and introduced Ethiopia’s tea to international buyers. EBR sat down with Isayas Kebede, general manager, to learn more about the company’s efforts to penetrate the global tea market and the challenges it is facing.

Several attempts have been made by the Addis Ababa City Administration to solve the severe transportation problem in the city. However, the roads are still clogged with traffic congestion and the problem has been worsening by the day. EBR’s Ashenafi Endale sat down with Solomon Kidane (PhD), head of the City Road and Transport Bureau to learn the root causes of the problem and what the administration is doing about it.

Yara International is a Norwegian fertilizer company with clients in about 150 countries, including Ethiopia. Two months ago the company signed an agreement with the Ethiopian government to mine potash in the Danakil Depression, in the state of Afar. Furthermore, an agreement was also signed with the Development Fund of Norway to fund the training of locals in the region. The project is expected produce up to 600,000 tons of potash per year when it becomes operational. EBR’s Mikiyas Tesfaye talks to Esben Tuman, Vice President Corporate Communications, Yara International.

Former journalist Bereket  Belayneh, 33, is a poet and writer of the satirical hit, Eyayu Fungus. The one-man show, a comedy filled with scathing criticisms of the government, and society, has been entertaining audiences for three years. EBR’s Mikiyas Tesfaye sat down with Bereket to talk about the role of comedy and humor in Ethiopian society and theater.

Although cotton is one of the oldest cultivated agricultural commodities in Ethiopia, recent trends show that the demand from textile factories is only met partially from local sources. Out of the three million hectare of land suitable for cotton, less than 10Pct is currently cultivated. 

In order to reverse the situation, Ethiopia introduced a new cotton development strategy in October 2017. The strategy, which delineates targets and activities to be carried out in the next 15 years, foresees the growth of cotton production to satisfy local demand and engage in export. One of the institutions responsible for the implementation of the strategy is the Textile Industry Development Institute (TIDI). Yared Mesfin, Deputy Director General of TIDI talks to EBR.

In a country where disability is perceived as inability by many, there are few people who demystify this old established stereotype. Indeed Yetnebersh Nigussie is one among these very few brave personalities. The 35 years old advocate of human rights, inclusiveness and gender equality lost her eyesight at the age of five. 

However, her disability has never deterred her from moving up in education. It did little to stop her from rising to global prominence. It indeed didn’t hamper her from achieving her dreams and aspirations, and making contributions to the betterment of societies.

Africa Insurance Company is one of the oldest private insurers established in Ethiopia after the partial liberalization of the financial sector. Established in 1994 with ETB15 million paid up capital, the company has been engaged in all classes of insurance — general and life insurance. 

As the industry is being challenged due to the growing cut throat price based competitions and rising clams, some insurance companies are witnessing a declining profit, Africa Insurance is one of them. EBR had a brief discussion with its managing director, Kiros Jiranie, to learn about the company and the overall development of insurance business in the country.