Berhane Demissie Joins Safaricom Ethiopia Advisory Board
Safaricom Ethiopia has appointed Berhane Demissie, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Cepheus Growth Capital Partners, to its Advisory Board, strengthening Ethiopian representation and local expertise within the company’s governance structure.
Demissie’s appointment was approved during a two-day board meeting held at Safaricom Ethiopia’s headquarters in Addis Ababa. The meeting brought together senior leaders and board members representing Vodacom Group, Safaricom Group PLC, Vodafone, Sumitomo, British International Investment, International Finance Corporation and Safaricom Ethiopia.
With more than 20 years of experience, Demissie has worked across private equity, investment management, corporate finance and risk management in Ethiopia and the United Kingdom.
As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Cepheus Growth Capital Partners, an Ethiopia-focused private equity firm, she provides growth capital to high-potential businesses and supports their long-term development.
Before co-founding Cepheus, Demissie served as a senior consultant to Ethiopia’s Public Financial Enterprises Agency, where she contributed to reforms involving the country’s public financial institutions. She previously worked at Citigroup in London within its Corporate and Portfolio Risk Management divisions, gaining experience in financial analysis, investment and risk management.
Demissie holds a BSc (Hons) from the University of Greenwich, a Diploma of Imperial College and an MBA from Imperial College London.
Her appointment makes Demissie the second Ethiopian to serve on the Safaricom Ethiopia Advisory Board, following Ermias Eshetu, who joined the board in March 2025 and later became chairman, effective November 2025.
The addition of Demissie brings further Ethiopian market knowledge and international financial expertise to Safaricom Ethiopia’s strategic leadership as the company continues to expand its network, services and investments across the country.
The appointment also highlights the growing role of local expertise in shaping Safaricom Ethiopia’s strategy as it works to connect more people, businesses and communities to opportunities within Ethiopia’s expanding digital economy.
