Culture

Bee’s Kitchen: A Thoughtfully Curated Newcomer Redefining Comfort Dining in Bole Medhanialem

Just two months after opening its doors, Bee’s Kitchen is already signaling that it is more than just another new restaurant in Addis Ababa. Located in Bole Medhanialem, along the road toward Moenco and Hayat Hospital, the restaurant sits in a lively corridor of the city—yet once inside, it offers a calm, welcoming pause from

December 23, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Books

Dinaw Mengestu Elected President of PEN America as Organization Faces Intensifying Free Speech Challenges

Ethiopian-American novelist Dinaw Mengestu has been elected president of PEN America, taking leadership of the influential literary and human rights organization at a moment marked by rising global threats to free expression and internal debate about the organization’s role in global crises. pasted Mengestu, 47, was born in Ethiopia and moved to the United States

December 23, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia Signs 27.8 Billion Birr Loan Deal to Fund Housing for Ethiopian Airlines Employees

The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) has signed a 27.8 billion birr loan agreement with Ethiopian Airlines to support the construction of residential housing for airline employees, in a major effort to address long-standing housing shortages within the national carrier’s workforce. The agreement is intended to provide sustainable financial support for Ethiopian Airlines’ employee housing

December 23, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

iShowSpeed Is Bringing His World Tour to Africa — and Ethiopia Is One of the Stops

There is a certain electricity that follows iShowSpeed wherever he goes: a mix of unpredictability, humor, chaos, vulnerability, and the kind of raw energy only the internet’s most-watched young superstar can command. Now, that electricity is headed to Africa. This December, Speed is embarking on his most ambitious adventure yet — “Speed Does Africa,” a

December 21, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Culture

U.S. Suspends Diversity Green Card Lottery Following Deadly Shooting Incidents

The United States government has suspended its Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, commonly known as the Green Card Lottery, following a recent series of violent incidents allegedly linked to a former beneficiary of the scheme. The decision was announced after a mass shooting at Brown University last week that left two people dead. The suspect, 48-year-old

December 19, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

EthSwitch Unveils ‘EthioPay’ as Ethiopia’s National Brand for Instant Digital Payments

EthSwitch, Ethiopia’s national financial switch operator, has officially launched EthioPay, a unified national brand for instant digital payment services. The initiative aims to bring the country’s rapidly expanding digital payment ecosystem under one trusted and recognizable identity. The brand was unveiled at a launch event held at Friendship Park. Speaking at the ceremony, Solomon Desta,

December 19, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Opinion

Why Gambella Region’s Insecurity Will Never End If Peace Initiative Don’t Start with Accountability

By-Gatkek Kuajien Chuol This latest episode of insecurity and extra-judicial killing is the third onslaught since Abiy Ahmed ascended into the highest echelon of Ethiopian politics since 2018.  But even between those all-out ethnic conflicts, and security incidents, the region has never had genuine peace—where people can truly feel safe and move around freely in all directions of the town, let alone across the entire

December 19, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

Gursha launches Ethiopia’s first supermarket cash-back platform as digital payments hit an inflection point

Ethiopia has seen restaurant coupon apps, delivery platforms, and a growing number of digital wallets. What it hasn’t had—until now—is a cash-back rewards platform built specifically for supermarket shopping. That’s the bet behind Gursha, a newly launched Ethiopian startup that brings an Ibotta- and Rakuten-style model to brick-and-mortar grocery stores. Gursha has already onboarded Arada

December 19, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

UAE launches US$1 billion ‘AI for Development’ initiative to advance digital infrastructure across Africa

Addis Ababa, 18th December, 2025 (WAM) — The UAE has announced the launch of the ‘AI for Development’ initiative, worth US$1 billion, to support and finance artificial intelligence projects in African countries. The initiative aims to bolster economic and social development across the continent by developing digital infrastructure, enhancing government services and improving productivity. The

December 18, 2025 • By Addis Insight

Business

This Ethiopian EdTech Startup Went Offline-First—and Enrolled Half of the Country’s Freshman Students

When the team behind Zegju first launched their platform, it followed a common edtech pattern: a web-based learning service built around notes, exercises, and exam preparation. But student feedback quickly exposed a structural flaw. The platform worked only as long as students had reliable internet access—something far from guaranteed for much of Ethiopia’s student population.

December 18, 2025 • By Addis Insight