March 2026
Before You Book the Flight
An Investor Intelligence Brief on Ethiopia's Reform Stack, Banking Opening, FX Conditions, and Marke...
Read brief →Finance · FX · Special Edition · March 2026
Open for Business
Ethiopia's FX Reform: The July 2024 Birr Float, What Changed, and What It Means for Business and Investment
July 2024Birr float — the defining reform event
~15%Parallel premium — down from over 100%
120%+Official exchange rate depreciation since float
49%Foreign bank ownership — now permitted
About This Brief
What this brief covers.
The July 2024 birr float was the most consequential single reform in Ethiopia's 2018–2026 programme. It eliminated the parallel market premium that had made formal channel operations uncompetitive for a decade, enabled foreign exchange access for importers and exporters, and created the conditions for the gold formalisation surge and foreign bank interest that defined the subsequent nine months of the fiscal year.
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