Ethiopia has introduced a new Telebirr-based digital payment system for tolls and fines on the Addis Ababa-Adama Expressway, marking a significant step in modernising its public infrastructure and boosting traffic efficiency in line with the Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy.
Ethiopia has taken another step in digitising public infrastructure, with Ethio telecom and the Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise introducing a Telebirr-based payment system for tolls and fines on the Addis Ababa-Adama Expressway. According to 2merkato, the new ‘Tolo’ service allows charges to be deducted automatically, so vehicles can move through toll points without stopping, a change intended to improve traffic flow on one of the country’s most important economic corridors.
The shift replaces a largely manual process with a more automated model, bringing toll collection, penalties and related road services into a single digital system. That matters because toll roads in many developing markets have often relied on cash handling, paper receipts and delayed reconciliation, all of which can create queues, administrative friction and revenue leakage. The Ethiopian authorities are presenting the new platform as both an efficiency upgrade and a governance tool.
TeleBirr is central to that ambition. Ethio telecom’s mobile payment platform already functions as a wider digital transaction layer, accessible through SMS, USSD and smartphone applications, and it has been pushed into an expanding range of public services. In a separate example cited by the World Health Organization in Ethiopia, the agency fully moved its fuel management onto TeleBirr, replacing paper coupons with an electronic, traceable system. Ethio telecom has also used the platform for service payments linked to government ministries and oversight bodies, suggesting that the tolling project is part of a broader national pattern rather than an isolated pilot.
The expressway project also reflects Ethiopia’s Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy, which seeks to embed technology across public services and state infrastructure. By linking RFID-style non-stop tolling with a mobile wallet, the system gives operators a clearer view of revenue flows and can make compliance easier to monitor. For logistics companies and other fleet users, the practical benefit is less about novelty than predictability: fewer delays, fewer manual steps and less need to deal with multiple payment channels.
More broadly, the initiative shows how transport infrastructure is increasingly being managed as a digital service as much as a physical asset. In Ethiopia’s case, the move may prove especially significant because road transport is central to freight movement and economic activity. If the new tolling model performs as intended, it could become a template for other corridors and for other countries seeking to modernise infrastructure finance without relying on cash-based systems.
Source Reference Map
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Source: Noah Wire Services
Verification / Sources
- https://highways.today/2026/04/10/ethiopia-telebirr-digital-payments/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.2merkato.com/news/banking-and-finance/8837-ethiopia-ethio-telecom-launches-tolo-fast-payment-system-on-telebirr – Ethio Telecom has introduced ‘Tolo’, a fast payment system on Telebirr, enabling digital toll and fine payments on the Addis Ababa-Adama Expressway. This initiative aims to modernise digital payment services and enhance user experience on a key economic corridor. The system fully automates toll and fine payments, replacing manual processes, and aligns with Ethiopia’s Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy. Through the Telebirr Super App, toll charges are automatically deducted, allowing vehicles to pass without stopping for payment, thereby improving travel efficiency on the expressway.
- https://www.afro.who.int/countries/ethiopia/news/digitizing-fuel-management-who-ethiopia-fully-adopts-telebirr-e-payment-system – WHO Ethiopia has fully transitioned its fuel management system to the TeleBirr e-payment platform, marking a significant step towards operational modernisation and transparency. This move aligns with national regulations mandating the shift from paper-based coupons to electronic payments. With a fleet of 89 vehicles supporting public health initiatives, WHO Ethiopia integrated Ethio-Telecom’s SMS-based TeleBirr system into its operations, eliminating manual processes and paper coupons, and offering a real-time, traceable system that simplifies fuel purchases nationwide.
- https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/africa-press-releases/digitizing-fuel-management-world-health-organization-who-ethiopia-fully-adopts-telebirr-e-payment-system-wu1b9jlb – WHO Ethiopia has fully digitised its fuel management system by adopting the TeleBirr e-payment platform, enhancing transparency and efficiency. This transition aligns with national regulations introduced in April 2024, which mandated that all fuel transactions in Ethiopia shift from paper-based coupons to electronic payments. With a fleet of 89 vehicles supporting public health initiatives, WHO Ethiopia integrated Ethio-Telecom’s SMS-based TeleBirr system into its operations, eliminating manual processes and paper coupons, and offering a real-time, traceable system that simplifies fuel purchases nationwide.
- https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/12188/ – EthSwitch is working to integrate TeleBirr into its digital interoperability platform, enabling seamless transfers between bank accounts, wallets, and mobile money services. This integration aims to enhance the efficiency of financial transactions across Ethiopia by allowing users to send funds from one institution to another. The National Bank of Ethiopia authorised the operation on October 26, 2021, after testing the integration, which EthSwitch had been working on for one year. The integration will enable users to transfer funds between different financial institutions using internet-based and USSD channels, as well as smartphone applications.
- https://www.ethiotelecom.et/ethio-telecom-in-collaboration-with-the-ministry-of-innovation-and-technology-launches-telebirr-based-service-payment-system-of-the-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-and-accounting-auditing-board-of-ethio/ – Ethio Telecom, in collaboration with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, has launched a TeleBirr-based service payment system for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Accounting & Auditing Board of Ethiopia. This initiative enables customers to settle service payments, such as document authentication and registration certificates, using the TeleBirr digital payment system. The platform has acquired a subscriber base of 23.4 million within a short period and has been integrated with 14 banks to facilitate seamless transactions between bank accounts and TeleBirr.
- https://telebirr.ethiotelecom.et/ – TeleBirr is a mobile payment service developed and launched by Ethio Telecom, Ethiopia’s state-owned telecommunications and internet service provider. The platform facilitates cashless transactions and is accessible via SMS, USSD, and smartphone applications. TeleBirr operates in five languages and has the capacity to process up to 100 transactions per second, with scalability up to 1,000 transactions per second. The service aims to provide a convenient and secure digital payment solution for users across Ethiopia.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score: 8
Notes: The article was published on April 10, 2026, and reports on the recent launch of the ‘Tolo’ payment system by Ethio Telecom and the Ethiopian Toll Roads Enterprise. Similar information was reported by 2merkato on April 9, 2026. (2merkato.com) The content appears to be original and not recycled from other sources. However, the presence of similar reports within a day suggests a high likelihood of press release-based content, which typically warrants a high freshness score.
Quotes check
Score: 7
Notes: The article includes direct quotes from Mustafa Abasimele, CEO of the Ethiopian Payments Enterprise. (2merkato.com) A search for these quotes did not yield earlier appearances, indicating they may be original. However, without independent verification of these quotes, the score is reduced.
Source reliability
Score: 6
Notes: The article is published on Highways Today, a niche publication focusing on construction and infrastructure news. While it provides detailed information, the source’s limited reach and potential lack of editorial oversight raise concerns about reliability. Additionally, the article cites 2merkato, a business news website, which may have its own biases or limitations.
Plausibility check
Score: 8
Notes: The claims about the ‘Tolo’ payment system and its integration with telebirr are plausible and align with Ethio Telecom’s ongoing efforts to digitize public services. (ethiotelecom.et) However, the lack of coverage by major international news outlets and the reliance on niche sources for verification suggest a need for caution.