Safaricom Plc in no longer interested in a stake in Ethiopia’s state-owned Ethio Telecom after a consortium it leads won a license to operate in the country. We either buy a stake in Ethio Telecom or seek a licence to start operations in Ethiopia,'' then Safaricom acting CEO and current chairman Michael Joseph said at the time. Yesterday, Safaricom said it was now awaiting for clearance before rushing to have a slice of the market currently boasting over 50 million mobile phone users. Early this month, Ethio Telecom launched a mobile money transfer service a move aimed at going ahead of Safaricom's M-Pesa. Apart from Ethio Telecom, other state entities lined up for privatisation include Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation, and Ethiopian Shipping & Logistics Services Enterprises.

Source: The Star May 26, 2021 00:56 UTC