Issue 220: Hard Pivots

Local Words for Digital Finance: What Do You Think?

Digital Financial Services (DFS) are rapidly expanding in Ethiopia, but language barriers and cultural nuance still limit understanding and adoption. Shega, as part of the AKOADA Project, has been working on the localization and translation of Digital Financial Services (DFS) terminology into Amharic and Afan Oromo.

This work is about turning complex finance and tech terms into clear, culturally relevant language that helps improve financial literacy and makes DFS more accessible for everyone.

We are sharing some of these translated Amharic terms to get your feedback. We would appreciate it if you could give them a review and tell us what works, what feels off, and what you would say instead.

Ethiopia has struck a preliminary agreement with a group of investors holding some of its $1 billion 2024 international bond, according to the Finance Ministry, a crucial step on the African nation's path to restructure its debt.

The draft agreement covers the main financial terms of the debt rework, a statement on the ministry's official Facebook page said on Friday. However, authorities still needed to agree on the non-financial terms of the new instrument that was going to be issued to replace the defaulted bonds with the Ad Hoc Committee, it said. Read more.

Ethiopia's central bank left its controversial credit growth ceiling unchanged at 24% on Tuesday, citing a concerning surge in money supply that has breached the limit despite tight monetary policy intended to steer inflation into single digits. Read more.

Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) has unveiled an online complaint portal to handle reports of corruption, malpractice, and misconduct within its managed enterprises. Read more.

A growing number of Ethiopian startups are quietly registering and operating from Rwanda, drawn by a business environment aspiring for speed and predictability.

In Rwanda, company registration can be completed online in as little as three days at a cost of about $50. For Ethiopian founders accustomed to long timelines and regulatory uncertainty, the contrast is stark.

They cite Rwanda’s incentives amid mounting frustrations at home, from heavy taxes and policy uncertainty to infrastructure gaps. Read more.

Addis Ababa has released 77,000 sqm of land for bidding in the third round of the current fiscal year, marking the eighth public land bid since the city resumed the process. Read more.

The government’s forex market reforms have exposed the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) to losses of nearly 450 billion Birr through its foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities, including obligations to international financial institutions and foreign currency reserves, according to an audited financial statement published this week.

The statement, covering the 2024/25 fiscal year and signed by newly appointed NBE Governor Eyob Tekalign (PhD), is the third to be audited by MSE Audit Service LLP as part of the terms of the government’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Read more.

In Addis Ababa, choosing where to eat is increasingly being shaped by TikTok content for young urbanites. Food reviewers with hundreds of thousands of followers turn casual reviews into a powerful force that can fill tables or empty them overnight. Read more.

The National Bank of Ethiopia’s nationwide push to link bank accounts with Fayda digital IDs has surpassed 2 million authentications, according to figures obtained from the national switch operator EthSwitch.

Up to 250,000 authentications are now being processed per day, reflecting a significant acceleration ahead of the April 8 deadline. Read more.

Ministry of Finance has set out its treasury bill auction calendar for the first quarter of 2026, with total planned issuance of 288.28 billion birr across six biweekly auctions. Auctions are scheduled for 8 and 21 January, 4 and 18 February, and 4 and 18 March. Read more.

Ethiopost, the state-owned postal operator, this week introduced a virtual post office box system alongside PostGebeya, an e-commerce platform aimed at integrating logistics, payments, and cross-border delivery for local businesses.

The initiatives are intended to reduce transaction frictions in last-mile delivery and expand market access for small producers by linking digital storefronts with Ethiopost’s logistics infrastructure.

PostGebeya is also expected to facilitate cross-border sales by allowing Ethiopian businesses to reach international customers through the postal operator’s delivery network. Read more.