Ethio Telecom Lists on Ethiopia’s Stock Exchange
State‑owned telecom becomes the exchange’s biggest listing as Ethiopia deepens capital‑market reforms.
By Samuel Okocha
Ethio Telecom began trading this week on Ethiopia’s stock exchange, marking the market’s biggest listing to date as the country works to build a regulated platform for businesses and investors.
The Addis Ababa‑based telecoms group is Ethiopia’s main provider of internet, telephone and digital services, and one of the nation’s five largest state‑owned firms alongside Ethiopian Airlines, the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Insurance Corporation and Ethiopian Shipping Lines.
“As the first State-Owned Enterprise to be listed on ESX, Ethio Telecom sets an important precedent for transparency, public participation, and long-term value creation for both public and private enterprises,” ESX Chief Executive Officer Tilahun Esmael Kassahun said in a statement.
The telecom group, which trades under the ticker TELE on the ESX Main Market, is fourth company to list on the Ethiopian Securities Exchange, joining commercial banks Wegagen, Gadaa and Awash.
The government offered 100 million shares but sold less than 11% of the stock, raising 3.2 billion birr ($20 million).
Ethiopia launched trading on the ESX in 2025, opening its capital market to both government securities and equities for the first time.
Ethio Telecom’s listing forms part of the government’s push to deepen financial markets and attract investment.
