Why Ethiopia needs a localised version of Uber, with Habtamu Tadesse from ZayRide

In many parts of the world, ordering a taxi from your smartphone is the new norm. Until July 2016 though, this was not possible in the country of Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country. There are several nuances about Ethiopia which made it difficult, and it was only once Habtamu returned to his home country after several years away that the capital Addis Ababa now has this service. It’s worth saying that Ethiopia is distinctly different from the other countries featured so far on this podcast. The ruling government runs a relatively closed economy, and there are strict regulations on anything involving interaction with the international business community. In this interview, Habtamu and I discuss just this, and some of the workarounds that he has had to develop in order to operate in Ethiopia. We cover how people have debit cards, but can only use them to withdraw cash, national company ownership for particular industries, and also how unlike other countries that Uber and the like work in, it’s illegal for private drivers to earn money giving rides. There’s lots in this episode around doing business in a difficult place, and the strategies to overcome it, and so beyond just leaning about Ethiopia, I have no doubt you’ll get a lot from it. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2018/02/22/ride-hailing-building-a-localised-version-of-uber-in-ethiopia-with-habtamu-tadesse-of-zayride/