Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa. /SAFARICOM/XThe Global Partnership for Ethiopia (GPE) and Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC (STE) Advisory Boards have announced the appointment of Peter Ndegwa as their new board chairman.
The appointment follows the retirement of Michael Joseph, the two board's founding chair.
The Global Partnership for Ethiopia Board said in a statement that the transition took effect on May 22, 2025.
Ndegwa, who currently serves as chief executive officer of Safaricom Group, steps into the role after Joseph’s four years of service on both boards.
He joined Safaricom as CEO and was appointed to its Board of Directors in April, 2020.
Ndegwa was later appointed a member of the Vodacom Group Executive Committee.
Under his leadership, Safaricom surpassed $1 billion (Sh129bn) in earnings in 2024.
Joseph, a key figure in Safaricom’s history, was instrumental as the founding chairman of the GPE and STE Boards.
Under his leadership, the company secured Ethiopia’s first private telecom licence and expanded services to cover over half of the country’s population.
The Global Partnership for Ethiopia is a consortium comprising Safaricom PLC (Kenya), Vodacom (South Africa), Sumitomo Corporation (Japan), British International Investment (UK), and the International Finance Corporation (USA).
Ndegwa brings extensive experience to the position, leading Safaricom Group—a $3 billion technology company and the pioneer of M-Pesa, the world’s most advanced mobile payment system.
Safaricom serves over 50 million customers across Kenya and Ethiopia and is recognised as a top employer in Africa.
Under Joseph’s stewardship, Safaricom Ethiopia has grown to more than nine million customers with a network of over 3,000 sites nationwide.
Joseph’s legacy includes his pivotal role as Safaricom’s founding CEO, growing the company from fewer than 18,000 subscribers in 2000 to over 17 million by 2010.
The Global Partnership for Ethiopia Board expressed its gratitude.
“On behalf of the Global Partnership for Ethiopia and Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia PLC, the board thanks Michael for his dedicated service, sound advice, and unwavering commitment."
Joseph will continue to support Safaricom Group in other capacities, including as a trustee of the MPESA Foundation, the board said.
