Safaricom Ethiopia Says Network Sharing Issue with Ethio Telecom Closed, Mobile Money Still Stuck

Mintesinot Niggusie

Safaricom Ethiopia has confirmed that its infrastructure-sharing disagreement with Ethio telecom has been resolved, although it said key issues linked to mobile financial services remain unresolved, according to remarks made during its latest annual performance briefing.

Chief executive **Wim Vanhelleputte** said at a press conference that Ethiopia’s telecom regulatory environment has been evolving, with long-standing bottlenecks gradually being eased, particularly in areas affecting market entry and infrastructure access.

Despite progress in infrastructure, Vanhelleputte said mobile money services continue to face policy and operational challenges. He pointed to the dual regulatory structure with the Ethiopian Communications Authority overseeing telecom and the National Bank of Ethiopia responsible for mobile financial services like M-PESA.

He added that further policy and implementation work is ongoing to support mobile money services, noting that meaningful changes could take between six and 12 months to materialise. The chief executive also raised concerns about ensuring equal access to government-related payment systems.

Vanhelleputte said that while reforms underway are positive for the sector, the full operationalisation of mobile money regulations will require additional time and continued regulatory alignment.