Safaricom Ethiopia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anwar Soussa has quit as the company’s CEO after two years.

Announcing his exit, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said Soussa will be leaving the business effective 31st July 2023 once his secondment comes to an end.

“I would like to express my 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.” Ndegwa said.

Anwar joined Safaricom Ethiopia in August 2021 to lead the establishment of the organization, set up business operations, and roll out a high-quality network.

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He has been a key face of the Safaricom rollout in Ethiopia, with the establishment of M-pesa services being his latest achievement.

Under his leadership, Safaricom Ethiopia acquired over 4 million customers, with the network now covering more than 25 percent of the population and spread across 50 cities and towns. The telco also secured a mobile financial services license, paving the way for the launch of M-PESA services

“As the first CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia, Anwar has overseen the attainment of significant milestones in a highly dynamic environment, including onboarding the team and successfully launching commercial operations of the second telecommunications operator in Ethiopia,’’ added Ndegwa.

Prior to joining Safaricom Ethiopia, Anwar was the Managing Director of Vodacom DRC and the Chairperson of Vodacash (M-PESA), a position he held since 2017.