Safaricom Ethiopia is advancing its 4G network expansion across southern parts of the country, bringing high-speed mobile broadband to additional towns as part of its broader nationwide coverage strategy. Recent activity includes preparations for a network launch in Sawla and earlier rollouts covering multiple locations in South-Western Ethiopia and other southern zones.
The company has progressively extended services beyond major urban centres since launching commercial operations in 2022. Notable southern and south-western expansions have included the Bonga area and surrounding towns such as Mizan, Tepi, Aman and others, where new towers supported by fibre backbones have been deployed. Infrastructure is typically described as 5G-ready, enabling future upgrades while delivering voice, data and SMS services in the near term.
Safaricom Ethiopia’s overall network has scaled significantly, with base stations reaching several thousand sites and 4G population coverage expanding toward 60% in recent reporting periods. Customer numbers have grown strongly, with 90-day active subscribers approaching 15 million and M-PESA users also rising sharply, reflecting the dual focus on connectivity and digital financial services.
Expansions into secondary towns routinely generate local employment through construction, retail shops, agent networks and related activities. In previous southern rollouts, hundreds of jobs have been created in the short term, with expectations of further growth as service adoption increases. Retail presence, including Safaricom shops and M-PESA agents, typically accompanies network activation to support customer onboarding and usage.
Ethiopia’s telecom market remains competitive, with state-owned Ethio telecom also advancing 4G LTE coverage into dozens of additional towns across multiple regions, including Southern Ethiopia. Safaricom’s focus on underserved and secondary markets aligns with national digital transformation goals, including improved access to mobile money, online services, education tools and e-commerce.
The operator has also engaged in complementary initiatives such as support for Ethiopia’s national digital ID registration programme across several regions, including South Ethiopia and South-West Ethiopia. These efforts position Safaricom beyond pure connectivity into broader digital public infrastructure.
As the company continues filling coverage gaps in southern Ethiopia, the combination of reliable 4G, growing M-PESA adoption and local economic linkages is expected to deepen digital participation in previously less-connected communities. Further site activations and service launches will determine the pace at which remaining towns gain access to modern mobile broadband.
