The 19th edition of Innovation Africa Digital Summit which focuses on the transformation of the telecom sector was held on Wednesday June 15, 2023 at Sheraton Addis.
“It is the 7th time for Ethiopia to host this great summit which focuses on the transformation of the telecom sector from voice to data which is undergoing major transformation that opens up new possibilities for innovation and growth,” said Belete Molla (PhD), Minister of Innovation and Technology, adding, “Ethiopia’s telecom sector has under gone major reform including liberalization and opening up of the sector. That is not all. Ethiopia’s digital payment ecosystems and proliferation of fintechs including digital payments, such as Telebirr, CBE Birr, and other products has also reached out to millions.”
Representatives from respective government offices, operators, private technology companies and fintechs from different Africa countries took part in this year’s summit.
“At Safaricom Ethiopia, we have invested heavily and believe heavily in the success of the Ethiopian market, and that’s why we have invested 1.6 billion dollars to enable the success of Ethiopian digitalization,” said Henok Teferra, Chief External Affairs and regulatory officer at Safaricom Ethiopia, while speaking at the event indicating that the company is implementing very aggressive infrastructure developing plans.

“We strongly believe that it is only through partnership of government, through the right policies, and through private sector playing its role that we can get the transformation that we want,” he added.
In 2019, the government announced a major reform of the sector, which included liberalization and opening up of the sector. To this end, Belete noted that the reform has enabled Ethio telecom to spearhead new strategies in a rapidly growing telecom sector.
“Access to mobile reached 68 million, which was around 32 million in 2019, while internet access surpassed 32 million, which was around 17 million 3 years back,” the minister stated.
“The theme “digital Africa” urges collaboration to build an inclusive and sustainable digital future in Africa. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) centralizes Africa’s digital transformation, aligning with its strategic goals of universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation,” ITU Regional Office for Africa Representative, Caroline Gaju, on her end highlighted, adding, “Despite the increased demand, access to connectivity, reliable and robust digital infrastructure, is among the major challenges faced to advance digital transformation in Africa.”
“The biggest percentage of the population in Africa, approximately 70 percent are still below the age of 30, and as the leaders of tomorrow it’s fundamental that youth engagement is prioritized to drive innovation and entrepreneurship,” she further stated.
Between 2019 and 2021, internet use in Africa increased by 23%, with 40% of the population using the internet in 2020; in Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 760 million users have registered the use of mobile money services.

Blue Nile Resort Hotels PLC to rebrand to Protea Hotel by Marriott

From the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum in Nairobi, Marriott International announced five deal signings in Africa under its Protea Hotels by Marriott brand. The signed projects reinforce the company’s commitment to expanding its presence across the continent and highlight the demand for the Protea Hotels by Marriott brand.
“Protea Hotels by Marriott has a long-established legacy in Africa, and we are excited to further strengthen the brand’s footprint in the continent with these five signings,” said Karim Cheltout, Regional Vice President – Development, Africa & All-Inclusive, EMEA at Marriott International. “While we continue to see demand for new build opportunities, the brand is seeing an uptick in conversion projects where developers are looking to rebrand their existing property into a Protea Hotel.”
Protea Hotels by Marriott is expected to make its debut in Ethiopia with the opening of Protea by Marriott Bahir Dar. The conversion deal was signed with Blue Nile Resort Hotels PLC to rebrand its Blue Nile Resort to a Protea Hotel following a full renovation. The property is expected to be rebranded to Protea by Marriott Bahir Dar by 2025 and will offer 127 guest rooms and suites, multiple dining outlets, a fitness centre and nearly 1,000 sqm of meetings and event space. The hotel is situated next to Lake Tana and a short distance from Blue Nile River.
Protea Hotels by Marriott is a leading hospitality brand in Africa and one of the most widely recognized across the continent. With properties in primary and secondary business centres and desirable leisure destinations, the brand remains a popular choice for travellers into Africa. In line with brand standards, the five projects will feature modern facilities, proactive and friendly service and consistent amenities such as full-service restaurants, meeting spaces and well-appointed rooms.
Marriott International’s current portfolio in Africa features nearly 140 properties and more than 24,000 rooms across 20 countries and 19 brands.
Protea Hotels by Marriott represent more than 40 percent of Marriott International’s portfolio in Africa with over 60 properties and more than 6,500 rooms in operation across nine countries.

Uganda lists Ethiopians as a huge tourist potential in addition to other lines of business sources that boost its venture in the economic sector.
Cognizant of this, the grate lake region country is now aggressively promoting its tourism potential and investment opportunities to different stakeholders in Ethiopia.
As Ugandan Embassy diplomats based in Addis Ababa express, the two countries have long withstanding relations in various fields which harbor an opportunity to maximize on further mutual benefiting investments.
During one of the series of promotional briefing sessions held at Sheraton Addis on Wednesday June 14, Anne Nabaasa, Second Secretary Desk Officer for Bilateral Cooperation at the Ugandan Embassy in Ethiopia, highlighted that Uganda and Ethiopia cooperate in investment, tourism, trade, culture and education, “We have also an arrangement between the capital, Kampala, capital city authority and Addis Ababa city authority. So there are very many areas of cooperation that have grown over the years. And of course, what brings us together. Of course, the relation stretches back to the formation of the African Union, to which we were part of the founding members.”
As Anne indicates, the two countries have different mechanisms under which they work in tandem; one being through the joint permanent commission.
“In the joint permanent commission, we work together in areas of; trade, investment, sports, education, health, and immigration. So it’s a framework that gives us, investment in all cooperation avenues and in all aspects of, social, political, and defense,” she elaborated.
As is well known, the two east African countries also have a joint ministerial commission, which brings together different ministers in different sectors between Ethiopia and Uganda to cooperate with each other, and put in place frameworks and Memoranda of Understanding agreements that can help to further those relations.
Regarding the tourism sector, the Ugandan Diplomat reminded that Uganda and Ethiopia already have an agreement on tourism promotion, “So what we are doing today is one of the ways of enforcing or implementing that agreement on tourism. We hope to work together to attract Ethiopians to go visit Uganda, as well as attract Ugandans to come and visit Ethiopia.”
“Now what is really helping us at the moment is that we have an airline that goes to Uganda three times every day. So it’s easy for those that are going to Uganda to go and those that are coming from Uganda to also come and there are different cultural aspects that we share,” she said, adding, “I was in Arba Minch and I was surprised that the local attire that they use for that region is the same as same as the Ugandan flag colors. We were pleasantly happy and the food they have is actually like the food we eat in Uganda. So there are similarities.”
“What we hope to do is promote the similarities where there are differences to harness those differences and promote them as attractions. For example, here you have lions, but it’s a different shade of surprise. I’ve never seen black lions, but I saw them at the Unity Park. In Uganda, we have tree climbing lions. We also have the normal lions. We also have leopards, which may not be here in Ethiopia. This is what we are hoping to do, that is, promote those differences,” Anne showcased how the two countries can complement each other.
There are many Ethiopians in Uganda that have opened up restaurants that serve the community both foreigners and local. She pointed out that such kinds of good opportunities need to be expanded to promote the tourism and economic sectors between the two countries.
“There is a potential in the tourism sector from Ethiopia to Uganda, I believe so,” she firmly stated that Uganda is a best destinations for Ethiopians who want to spent their vacations.
However the diplomat said that there is a complication to pay for visa for Ethiopians since the Uganda immigration process has become an online scheme.
Regarding the visa issue, the diplomat said that her government is working to elevate the matter, “The payment process is a bit complicated for Ethiopians, because several people do not have credit cards, or do not have the ability to make payment online. But we are working with immigration authorities to see how something can be made that is specific to Ethiopia to enable those that are interested to come to Uganda.”
Uganda is one of the top tourist destinations in the region with its natural and cultural welfares besides massive wildlife safari potentials with its 10 national parks. According to 2019 statistics tourism contributes 7.9 percent for the Ugandan GDP.
The Ugandan government is also facilitating different incentives to attract more investment for the country that has more than 48 million in population.

Wingu Africa inaugurates a first of its kind data center in Ethiopia to provide a data infrastructure service that allows telecommunication and financial institutions to exchange information.
Located at the ICT Park, the data center is indicated to be both a carrier and cloud-neutral in design to ensure that customers are always enjoying uninterrupted services, with independent back-up systems for power, cooling, and network connectivity.
“With the introduction of our carrier- neutral data center, Wingu is proud to offer a technological ecosystem that will drive innovation, foster collaboration, and enable growth and opportunity,” said Anthony Voscarides, CEO of Wingu.africa, while speaking at the inauguration event held on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, adding, “Wingu.africa Data Center will provide affordable and secure data services to any public or private institution.”
As indicated by the group, the construction of the data center cost 50 million dollars. The center which is built on a 161,500 sq ft (15,000 sq m) plot of land, will offer a capacity of 10MW across 800 racks when fully operational. The main facility that is said to have taken 24 months to construct not only meets Tier III standards but also will see Ethiopia hosting its first internet exchange.
“The core objectives of hosting this Internet exchange in the Wingu data center are to deliver cost-effective, faster, and more reliable internet services, further accelerating Ethiopia’s digital growth,” indicated the Group.
“The Group is exploring further expansion plans in different parts of the country for more investment to meet the needs of the growing Ethiopian economy,” said Nicholas Lodge, Chief Strategy Officer of the Group.
The Wingu group operates in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somaliland, and Tanzania providing the highest standards of security, technology, and regulatory-compliant data center services.
By offering access to multiple networks and cloud infrastructure, Wingu empowers businesses through choice and ultimately the benefit of improved service levels and competitive pricing. Wingu’s data center will also support initiatives to bring additional data capacity to Ethiopia through connectivity to global fiber optic cable systems, while also enticing major content providers such as Meta, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Alibaba, Microsoft, and Google.
The company is also said to be planning a new data center and cable landing station that will be Tier III certified and host 11 cables. It is also looking to expand its existing data centers and has signed deals with “several strategic customers”.