A public statement from M-PESA Ethiopia on December 5th claimed that Ethio Telecom, the state-owned incumbent, was preventing its customers from accessing the newly launched app, sparking the latest clash in a market where regulators warn the playing field is not level.
Days after launching a new mobile money application designed to work across any network, M-PESA Ethiopia has publicly accused the state-owned incumbent, Ethio Telecom, of blocking customer access to the service. The allegation marks a new flashpoint in a bitter market battle and directly echoes warnings from a recent World Bank report about anti-competitive structural advantages enjoyed by the dominant operator.
The incident raises urgent questions about the reality of Ethiopias telecom liberalisation, a flagship reform under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and the future of foreign investment in one of Africas last untapped markets.
