2merkato

Ethiopian company SoleRebels and its founder Bethlehem Tilahun were featured in a New York Times article covering entrepreneurship in Africa. The article entitled ‘Women Entrepreneurs Drive Growth in Africa’ noted that Bethlehem is one of a ‘wave’ of African entrepreneurs in Africa who are taking advantage of the economic revitalization on the continent noted the article.

The article covers the founding of soleRebels in 2004 with a small group of artisans living in the same community and a small workshop and follows its growth to become a multi-million dollar international enterprise with its handmade and environmentally friendly shoes selling for 60 US dollars and more.

The European Union is to support the efforts to modernize and expand the industrial sector. The support is intended to create an enabling environment to allow Ethiopia to exploit its potential for industrial development to enhance the country’s economic development which is currently founded on agriculture.

The EU is committed to supporting the government as the country drawing lessons from Asia and Eastern Europe the project expects to be comprehensive in aiding economic growth through fine tuning policy making, building the capacity of institutions and supporting intermediary organizations by offering direct support said Xavier Marchal, Head of the European Delegation to Ethiopia.

The program is funded by 35 million pounds to support Ethiopia’s plans to accelerating private investments and industrialization. It promotes better cooperation between private and public sector to encourage investments and to enhance the capacity for export he said.