Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia, a subsidiary of Safaricom PLC (Kenya’s leading telecommunications provider) and part of the Vodafone Group, launched in 2022. As the first private telecom operator in Ethiopia, Safaricom Ethiopia broke Ethio Telecom’s monopoly. The consortium includes Safaricom PLC, Vodafone Group, Sumitomo Corporation, and British International Investment (BII). Safaricom Ethiopia aims to revolutionize Ethiopia’s telecom sector by offering affordable, reliable, and innovative mobile services, including voice, data, and mobile financial services.
Operating on advanced technologies like 4G LTE, with plans for 5G, Safaricom Ethiopia supports VoLTE (Voice over LTE) for high-quality voice calls and is exploring eSIM technology for modern smartphone users. Its network uses frequency bands such as 900 MHz and 1800 MHz for 2G, 2100 MHz for 3G, and 2600 MHz for 4G LTE. Safaricom Ethiopia has also introduced M-Pesa, a leading mobile money service, to empower Ethiopians with financial inclusion.
The competitive landscape in Ethiopia is evolving, with Ethio Telecom still holding a dominant market share. However, Safaricom Ethiopia’s entry has introduced healthy competition, driving innovation and improving service quality. The company has launched several innovative products, including affordable data bundles, voice packages, and mobile financial services tailored to the Ethiopian market.
Comprehensive List of Safaricom Ethiopia USSD Codes
Below is an exhaustive list of USSD codes for Safaricom Ethiopia, including mobile money (M-Pesa) and other services. Descriptions are provided in English and Amharic.
General USSD Codes
| Function | Code | Description | Amharic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check Balance | *804# | Check your airtime balance. | የአየርጊዜ ቀሪ ሂሳብዎን ያረጋግጡ። |
| Check Data Balance | *707# | Check your remaining data balance. | ቀሪ ዳታ ሂሳብዎን ያረጋግጡ። |
| Buy Airtime | *805*Amount# | Buy airtime for yourself. | ራስዎን የአየርጊዜ ይግዙ። |
| Buy Airtime for Others | *805*Phone Number*Amount# | Buy airtime for another number. | ሌላ ስልክ ቁጥር የአየርጊዜ ይግዙ። |
| Customer Care | 700 or +251 700 | Contact Safaricom Ethiopia customer care. | ከርደም አገልግሎት ያግኙ። |
| APN Settings for Mobile Internet | APN: safaricom | Configure your phone for mobile internet access. | ሞባይል ኢንተርኔት ለመጠቀም ኤፒኤን ማቀናበሪያ። |
M-Pesa (Mobile Money) USSD Codes
| Function | Code | Description | Amharic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Register for M-Pesa | *806# | Register for M-Pesa services. | የኤም-ፔሳ አገልግሎት ይመዝገቡ። |
| Send Money | *806*1# | Send money to another M-Pesa user. | ገንዘብ ለሌላ የኤም-ፔሳ ተጠቃሚ ይላኩ። |
| Withdraw Cash | *806*2# | Withdraw cash from an M-Pesa agent. | ከኤም-ፔሳ አጀንድ ገንዘብ ያውጡ። |
| Buy Goods and Services | *806*3# | Pay for goods and services using M-Pesa. | ዕቃዎችን እና አገልግሎቶችን ለመክፈል ኤም-ፔሳ ይጠቀሙ። |
| Check M-Pesa Balance | *806*4# | Check your M-Pesa account balance. | የኤም-ፔሳ ሂሳብዎን ያረጋግጡ። |
| Loan and Savings | *806*5# | Access M-Pesa loans and savings products. | የኤም-ፔሳ ብድር እና ቁጠባ ምርቶች። |
Data and Voice Bundles
| Function | Code | Description | Amharic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Data Bundle | *707*1# | Purchase a daily data bundle. | ዕለታዊ ዳታ ባንድል ይግዙ። |
| Weekly Data Bundle | *707*2# | Purchase a weekly data bundle. | ሳምንታዊ ዳታ ባንድል ይግዙ። |
| Monthly Data Bundle | *707*3# | Purchase a monthly data bundle. | ወርሃዊ ዳታ ባንድል ይግዙ። |
| Voice Bundles | *702# | Purchase voice call bundles. | የድምፅ ጥሪ ባንድሎች ይግዙ። |
Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia is a game-changer in the Ethiopian telecom sector, bringing cutting-edge technology, affordable services, and financial inclusion through M-Pesa. With its robust network, innovative products, and customer-centric approach, Safaricom Ethiopia is poised to become a key player in the market. The USSD codes provided above empower users to manage their accounts, access mobile money services, and stay connected effortlessly. As the company continues to expand its services, Ethiopians can look forward to even more advanced and inclusive telecom solutions.
