Ethiopia’s state-owned telecom company, Ethio Telecom, unveiled a new online marketplace on Thursday with the goal of bringing together logistics companies, buyers, and sellers nationwide.
The platform, called “Zemen Gebeya,” is intended to function as a national online marketplace that unites traders, manufacturers, and service providers in a unified online environment.
Zemen Market aims to support Ethiopia’s digital transformation initiative
The initiative was introduced at a premiere event at the Science Museum in Addis Ababa.
Speaking at the inauguration, Frehiwot Tamiru, CEO of Ethio Telecom, stated that the marketplace was established in collaboration with 40 institutions and would initially provide 14 items.
The platform aims to support Ethiopia’s aspirations for a digital economy and expedite business transactions.
“This initiative is part of our broader strategy to support Ethiopia’s digital transformation,” Frehiwot said during her presentation.
Ethio Telecom’s commitment to broaden digital services
Prior to market liberalisation, Ethio Telecom, one of Africa’s biggest telecom providers in terms of subscribers, had been pursuing a number of digital services to broaden its product line.
Zemen Market’s launch comes after earlier forays into cloud services and mobile money.
According to the company, it anticipates that the marketplace will assist SMEs in expanding their market reach and enhancing the effectiveness of their supply chains.
Zemen GEBEYA is a mini app that is available to users as part of the Telebirr SuperApp. It includes the following features: System Administration Portal, Logistics Management System, Merchants’ Portal and Mobile Application, Consumers’ Mobile Application, and Dispatcher Mobile Application.
Role of Ethio Telecom in Ethiopia’s digital transformation
For the past 130 years, Ethio Telecom, a leader in the provision of digital and telecommunications services in Africa, has enabled widespread access to its services for the benefit of the citizens.
The organisation identifies important industries that are essential to the development and economic expansion of the country, provides technological support, and equips them to become efficient and competitive.
The company’s digital infrastructure—which includes dependable cloud services, a modular data centre, fast internet connectivity, and the expansion of the telebirr digital payment system—as well as the growing number of young people using technology, urbanisation, rising consumer demand, the rise in smartphone and digital ID users, and the government’s e-commerce strategy under the “Digital Ethiopia” initiative have all contributed to the development of a favourable environment for the implementation of digital commerce across the country.
Therefore, to fully realise the benefits of the digital economy and become the engine that unlocks limitless economic opportunities, the company has been engaging in a number of activities to implement reliable, secure, and centralised digital commerce.
By leveraging its current market potential and favourable opportunities, it is fulfilling its commitment to achieving comprehensive national digital commerce. This development will allow it to seamlessly bridge buyers and sellers from all over the country.
Benefits of Zemen Gebeya
Zemen Gebeya wants to revolutionise Ethiopia’s digital marketplace by providing substantial benefits to the country and other players in its economy. The following are the benefits listed by Ethio Telecom:
- Economic Growth: Zemen GEBEYA can support greater economic activity, job creation, and GDP growth by promoting trade and broadening market reach/coverage for companies of all sizes.
- 2. Job Creation and Economic Empowerment: Promotes local job openings in the retail, technology, digital marketing, logistics, and digital services industries, fostering sustainable livelihoods and community development.
- 3. Digital Inclusion: By offering a platform that users in urban, semi-urban, and rural communities can access, it can help close the digital divide and promote digital literacy and participation in the digital economy.
- Nationwide Reach: By bridging the gap between rural and urban communities, Zemen GEBEYA makes it possible for everyone in Ethiopia to participate equally in digital commerce, hence encouraging wide market access and inclusivity.
- Increased Productivity & Efficiency: Simplifying transactions and cutting out middlemen opens up more effective supply chains, speeds up price discovery, and maximises market transparency, all of which benefit producers and consumers.
- Financial Inclusion: The platform can help increase financial inclusion by encouraging digital payments, which will enable more people to engage in the formal economy.
- Encourage Local Production: It can give Ethiopian farmers, craftspeople, and manufacturers a powerful stage on which to display and market their goods both domestically and possibly abroad.
- Enhancing SME Growth and Entrepreneurship: Provides resources and exposure to help SMEs expand, develop, and compete more widely.
- Data-Driven Insights: The platform can produce useful data on consumer behaviour, supply chain dynamics, and market trends that can guide business and policy decisions.
- Accelerating Digital Transformation: This helps Ethiopia realise its vision for a digital economy in line with national strategies, like Digital Ethiopia 2025.
- Global Market Readiness: Gives regional producers the resources and infrastructure they need to reach a wider audience and engage in international commerce.
- Sustainable Economic Development: By empowering local economies and modernising traditional marketplaces, it raises Ethiopia’s GDP.
- Unified National Marketplace: By establishing a single marketplace that supports Ethiopia’s digital economy, the digital marketplace helps close the digital divide between urban and rural areas.