(Ecofin Agency) - Anwar Soussa became Safaricom Ethiopia's first CEO in August 2021. His achievements include the launch of the company's commercial activities, the gradual expansion of its telecoms network coverage, and the acquisition of 4 million subscribers.

Anwar Soussa (photo), CEO of Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC (STEP), will step down from the helm of the company on July 31, when his term of office comes to an end. Safaricom announced this in a press release on Wednesday, July 21. His successor has yet to be announced.

Anwar Soussa was appointed CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia on July 1, 2021, following the acquisition of the country's first private telecommunications operator license by the Global Partnership for Ethiopia consortium. He was tasked with "executing the consortium's goal of bringing transformational economic and social impact to Ethiopia and positively improving the lives of its more than 112 million people."

In the months that followed, Anwar Soussa prepared the launch of Safaricom Ethiopia's activities in a complicated local socio-economic and security context marked in particular by the Tigray war. The company finally launched commercial operations in October 2022. Since then, it has acquired 4 million customers and extended its network to over 25% of the population and 50 towns.

The announcement of his departure comes as Safaricom prepares to enter a new phase of growth in Ethiopia. Last May, the company acquired an operating license for its M-Pesa mobile money service from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) for $150 million. It has also secured financial support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) to accelerate the development of its activities in the East African country.

“Our heartfelt gratitude to Anwar for his leadership and contributions to Safaricom Ethiopia. Throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated unwavering passion and commitment, which have played a crucial role in our achievements thus far. We will announce Anwar’s successor in due course,” Safaricom wrote.  

Isaac K. Kassouwi