How do you get a SIM card or eSIM in Ethiopia? Ethio Telecom vs Safaricom

Getting online in Ethiopia is easier than it used to be. Until 2022 there was only one mobile operator. Now there are two, both sell bundles made for visitors, and both have counters at Bole International Airport. This guide explains which one to pick, what to bring, and when an international eSIM makes more sense.

Your first hour in the country is simpler if your ride is already arranged. Ethiopia Driver, a family-run private driver service in Addis Ababa, meets you at Bole arrivals: message us your flight number before you fly and our driver will be there when you come out, SIM or no SIM.

Which mobile networks are there in Ethiopia?

Ethio Telecom is the state-owned operator and was the only provider for decades. It had just over 90 million customers in its 2025/26 results, published in July 2026, and it has by far the widest network outside the capital.

Safaricom Ethiopia is the newer private operator, part of the group behind Safaricom in Kenya. It started service in 2022. By May 2025 its 4G network covered about half the population, and its active customer base reached 10 million in July 2025.

Ethiopia's country code is +251.

Ethio Telecom or Safaricom: which is better for travellers?

If you are staying mainly in Addis Ababa, either network is usually fine. If you are heading out of the capital, Ethio Telecom is the safer bet, simply because its network reaches far more towns.

Some visitors carry both. A dual-SIM or eSIM-capable phone lets you keep one line from each operator, which helps when one network is weak or down in a particular area.

What are the visitor bundles?

Both operators publish tourist plans on their own websites. Ethio Telecom calls its range the International Visitors Plan: weekly, two-week and monthly packages combining data, calls, SMS and some airtime (the longer ones add international minutes), plus cheaper data-only options. The SIM card is included in the package price. Safaricom Ethiopia has a Visitor Plan with weekly and monthly bundles of data, minutes, SMS and airtime.

Both price these bundles in US dollars or euros. Operators change bundles often, so check ethiotelecom.et and safaricom.et for the current list before you land rather than relying on figures you see in older blogs.

How do you buy a SIM at Bole airport?

1. Clear immigration and customs first. Ethio Telecom and Safaricom both have shops in the arrivals hall.
2. Have your passport ready. Every SIM must be registered in the buyer's name, and visitors register with their passport. Staff normally handle the registration for you.
3. Choose a visitor bundle. Tell staff how long you are staying and whether you need calls or just data.
4. Let staff activate it. It is usually activated on the spot. Test data and a call before you walk away.
5. Arriving late at night? Both shops generally open for arriving international flights, and you can usually pay by international card. If a shop is ever closed, the operators' shops in the city are the fallback, and hotel Wi-Fi will cover you until then.

Buy only from the official operator counters or shops. A SIM sold informally and registered to someone else's name is not tied to you, and could be deactivated.

Can you get a local eSIM in Ethiopia?

Yes, both operators offer eSIMs, but through their shops or agents rather than online.

• Ethio Telecom: you subscribe at one of its service centres, where you scan a QR code to install the eSIM. There is a small one-off eSIM fee in birr, and it has offered eSIM since 2022.
• Safaricom Ethiopia launched eSIM in July 2025. Activation is done in store or through agents, with the QR code sent by WhatsApp or email.

Neither operator's website spells out eSIM rules for short-stay visitors. The airport shops may offer eSIMs as well as physical SIMs, so ask at the counter and bring your passport. Your phone also needs to be unlocked and eSIM-capable.

Should you use an international travel eSIM instead?

International eSIM apps sell data-only plans for Ethiopia that you install before departure. They ride on one of the two local networks: Airalo's Ethiopia plan, for example, runs on Safaricom, and many travel eSIMs for Ethiopia do the same. The advantages are that you have data the moment you land and you skip the registration queue.

The trade-offs: you usually get no Ethiopian phone number, which matters if hotels, drivers or restaurants want to call you, and the price per gigabyte is generally higher than a local visitor bundle. Check which local network your plan uses, because that decides your coverage outside Addis.

Whichever you choose, you don't need a working local number to be met at the airport. We agree your pickup by WhatsApp or email before you travel, track the flight number you give us, and our driver is waiting in arrivals when you come out. If you're travelling with us, you can sort out your SIM later in the city at your own pace.

What else should you know about staying connected?

• Unlock your phone before you travel. A phone locked to your home carrier will not accept an Ethiopian SIM.
• Coverage drops outside towns. Download offline maps and anything important before long drives.
• Networks can be shut down. Internet and phone connectivity was reportedly suspended in Tigray in late September 2026, and networks elsewhere may be closed without notice. See our guide on internet shutdowns for how to prepare.
• Airport counters can take foreign cash. Telecom services inside the airport selling SIM cards and airtime to tourists are among the few businesses allowed to accept foreign cash. Elsewhere, you top up in birr.