From the tour of selected Industrial Parks in Ethiopia
19.05.2026 / 07:57 | Aktualizováno: 20.05.2026 / 09:48
On 19 May 2026, members of the diplomatic community in Addis Ababa took part in a one‑day field visit to selected industrial parks and investment projects in and around the capital. The programme was organised by the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia (MoFA) and was reported to have brought together representatives from more than 80 embassies and international partner organisations.
Visited industrial parks:
- Bole Lemi Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
- Ethiopian ICT/IT Park
- Kilinto Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
- Eastern Special Economic Zone / Eastern Industrial Zone
- Joytech Plc (Joy Tech Business Group) – vertical farming/agri‑tech
- AMG Holdings – private‑sector industrial project
The visit provided a practical cross‑section of Ethiopia’s investment ecosystem—manufacturing, technology and the digital economy, agriculture and tourism—while offering on‑the‑ground discussions with zone management and companies. Public communication around the event highlighted the value of site visits in demonstrating the “reality on the ground” and building effective investment partnerships. At the same time, not every park is the same: zones differ in sector focus, infrastructure readiness, available services (including one‑stop‑shop arrangements), logistics connections and practical investor conditions. Therefore, Czech companies should assess each location based on their specific business model, sector requirements and timeline.
New halls are awaiting foreign investors in Ethiopia
Practical points potentially relevant for Czech companies (high‑level):
- SEZ framework: Ethiopia is expanding a Special Economic Zone regime intended to strengthen investment and trade facilitation.
- Incentives reform (2026): investment incentives are moving from broad tax holidays toward temporarily reduced income tax rates and performance‑based compliance.
- Customs incentives: eligible investments often benefit from customs relief for capital goods and construction materials, and typically a portion of spare parts.
- Track record: available data points to significant job creation, sales and workforce training linked to parks around Addis Ababa.
- Digital opportunity: Ethiopian IT Park presents itself as a national technology campus for ICT, cloud and data‑centre investment, supported by connectivity and power infrastructure plans.
Overall, the mission confirmed that there are tangible options for Czech firms considering expansion into Ethiopia—provided that investment decisions are backed by structured due diligence and on‑site verification.
Acknowledgements
Our sincere thanks go to the organisers and partners: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia (MoFA), Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC), Ethiopian IT Park Corporation (EITP), the management of the visited zones (Bole Lemi, Kilinto, Eastern), and the host companies Joytech Plc and AMG Holdings.
Připravil: Ing. Roman Plevák, Ph.D., vedoucí sekce obchodu a ekonomické spolupráce na Velvyslanectví ČR v Addis Abebě