Huawei Northern Africa President Li Shen and Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru signed a partnership agreement aimed at accelerating digital transformation
Ethiopian state-owned Ethio Telecom and Chinese telecoms equipment vendor Huawei have partnered to accelerate digital transformation in the East African country.
Through this partnership, the companies aim to accelerate the growth of Ethiopia’s business markets through innovative digital solutions.
According to Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru, the partnership aligns with Ethio Telecom’s “Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028” strategy.
“Together, we are building a collaborative digital and innovation ecosystem to drive Ethiopia’s digital transformation,” she explained.
She said that a key focus of the meeting was the co-development of industry-specific digital solutions.
“By combining advanced connectivity, cloud computing, AI, cybersecurity, IoT, and data centers, we are accelerating digital transformation for enterprises across key sectors of the economy,” Tamru continued.
She added that the two companies are strengthening the digital ecosystem for enterprises and SMEs by integrating innovative business solutions with the Telebirr platform.
“This will enable digital payments, financial services, and e-commerce tools to help businesses boost productivity and expand their reach,” she said.
Ethio Telecom and Huawei said the partnership will accelerate the growth of Ethiopia’s enterprise and SME markets through innovative digital solutions
Huawei partnership will drive local innovation
Tamru said to drive local innovation and faster service delivery, the partners are strengthening local software development, system integration and technical support.
“Closer collaboration between our technical teams will accelerate the development of solutions tailored to Ethiopia’s market needs,” she explained.
The Ethio Telecom CEO explained that the partners explored opportunities to expand smartphone affordability and device accessibility through innovative financing models.
She believes that increasing access to affordable smart devices is fundamental to accelerating digital inclusion and driving participation in Ethiopia’s digital economy.
“We discussed opportunities to work together on digital inclusion, literacy, rural connectivity and digital education. Our shared commitment is to build sustainable digital infrastructure that delivers meaningful social and economic impact,” Tamru continued.
Huawei Northern Africa President Li Shen reaffirmed Huawei’s commitment to supporting Ethio Telecom’s transformation into a leading tech company.
“The partnership will focus on enterprise innovation, SME empowerment, and solution co-creation to support Ethio Telecom’s ambition to expand into regional African markets,” Shen explained.
Ethio Telecom’s partnerships
Ethio Telecom has in recent times partnered with different tech companies to help it on its digital transformation journey.
In February 2026, Ethio Telecom, Djibouti Telecom and the Sudatel Group turned theircross-border optical fiber memorandum of understandinginto a binding agreement.
Ethio Telecom and telecom provider and Internet service provider Somaliland Cable (Somcable) in January 2026 forged astrategic cross-border digital and telecom partnership.
In November 2025, the telco partnered with Awash Bankto launch Tila, a digital microfinance and savings service, along with a smart-device financing program through Telebirr, Ethio Telecom’s mobile money service.
In October 2025, the company partnered with Chinese Android smartphone maker Tinnoto boost smartphone adoption in the country.
To accelerate the development of the country’s growing electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, the telco launched, in February and April 2025, charging stations in the Ethiopian capitalAddis Ababaandalong the Bole-Megenagna main road.
In January 2025,the company began strategic talks with the African Development Bank (AfDB).
