TechnoServe and the elea Foundation Launch Smart Souks Program to Empower 300 Micro-Retailers in Addis Ababa
The three-year initiative is designed to enhance business skills, facilitate access to finance, expand digital tools adoption, and boost the revenue of micro retail entrepreneurs in Addis Ababa by 30%.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (September 23, 2026) – TechnoServe announced the launch of the Smart Souks program in partnership with the Elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization in the Ethiopian capital today.
This three-year initiative is designed to transform and digitize 300 micro-retail businesses (souks) in Addis Ababa, driving financial inclusion and sustainable economic growth while indirectly benefiting the livelihoods of more than 900 people.
“Micro-retailers are essential drivers of job creation and neighborhood commerce across Addis Ababa,” said Lejalem Adamu, manager of the Smart Souks program at TechnoServe. “By combining practical coaching, digital tools, and financial access, the Smart Souks program will empower entrepreneurs to grow resilient businesses, build economic security for their families, and contribute to a vibrant, digitized micro-retail sector across Ethiopia.”
“The informal retail sector is the backbone of daily economic life across Ethiopia, supporting millions of livelihoods and connecting communities to essential goods. At elea, we believe that strengthening this sector, through initiatives like the Smart Souks Program, is fundamental to inclusive economic development. We are excited to build on nearly a decade of learnings from our Smart Duka program and our trusted partnership with TechnoServe in Kenya, bringing a proven model to Ethiopia to help micro-retailers create jobs, strengthen livelihoods, and drive broader economic growth,” said Jennifer Chan, senior associate at elea.
However, many micro-retailers face significant hurdles, including limited business management knowledge and skills, constrained access to formal credit, fragmented supply chains, and low adoption of digital technologies.
The Smart Souks program builds on nearly a decade of experience and lessons from the Smart Duka program implemented in Kenya, where TechnoServe, the elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization, and partners including Moody’s Foundation, the Mastercard Foundation, and the Citi Foundation have supported over 50,000 duka owners with business skills, access to finance, digital tools, and market linkages. The Smart Souks program will equip 300 micro retailers, 50% of which are women-owned and youth-owned, with practical business training, one-on-one mentorship, direct linkages to financial service providers, and digital shop-management tools.
Micro-retailers participating in the program will:
- Improve Business Practices: Enable at least 80% of participating micro-retailers to adopt improved business and financial management practices.
- Increase Revenue and Profitability: Achieve an average 30% growth in business revenue while driving sustainable profitability.
- Enjoy Better Access to Finance: Connect 50% of participants to formal loans and financial services through partnerships with local banks, microfinance institutions, and savings and credit cooperative organizations (SACCOs).
- Create Jobs and Improve Resilience: Facilitate the creation of 50 new jobs while helping participating retailers sustain operations, diversify revenue streams, and build long-term business resilience.
Working closely with the Addis Ababa City Administration Labor and Skills Bureau, key private-sector partners, and sector associations, the program will establish scalable mechanisms to strengthen the broader micro-retail ecosystem. Lessons from the pilot will also inform potential regional expansion of micro-retail support models across East Africa.
Get Involved & Learn More:
To learn more about the Smart Souks Program, explore partnership opportunities, or access media assets and project insights, please visit technoserve.org or contact the media representatives listed above.
##
About TechnoServe
Founded in 1968, TechnoServe is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty for good. A non-profit organization working in around 35 countries, we work with people to build a better future through regenerative farms, businesses, and markets that increase incomes. Our vision is a sustainable world where all people in low-income communities have the opportunity to prosper.
Twitter: @TechnoServe | Facebook: @TechnoServe | LinkedIn: @TechnoServe
About elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization
elea fights absolute poverty with entrepreneurial means. As an active philanthropic impact investor, elea supports impact entrepreneurs and their ventures in the post-startup and growth phase in combining long-term economic success with sustainable, measurable impact. To this end, elea provides its portfolio companies not only with capital, but also with business know-how, coaching, and access to the global elea network. As such, elea sees itself as a growing community of committed entrepreneurs and philanthropic investors.
Instagram: @elea | Facebook: @elea | LinkedIn: @elea
Notes to Editors
Media Contact:
- Addis Ababa – Lejalem Adamu; +251911055259; ladamu@tns.org
- Washington – Trishna Gurung; +1 202 785 4515; tgurung@tns.org