Lessons for SA’s economy on eye-opening trip to Ethiopia
THERE are quite a few things I learnt on my eight-day media trip to Ethiopia.
One is that you need to get used to the coffee. It’s one of the country’s greatest exports, their pride and joy, and everywhere you go you are welcomed with a small cup of it, strong and black.
There’s a woman you’ll see handling the coffee, dressed in a traditional Ethiopian garment.
Around the area where the coffee is served, grass is all over the floor. There are also about three baskets of popcorn – this is apparently a newer addition to the tradition, and it is meant to be nibbled on while drinking the coffee.
The popcorn has a sugary taste and no salt is added. Roasted peanuts are also served with the coffee.
Something that took getting used to was the incense, burnt throughout the coffee ceremony in a pot filled with coal. The aroma is quite powerful.
Saying no to this cup of coffee, along with its offering of popcorn and peanuts, is treated as an insult. A lot of trouble goes into preparing it especially for their guests…
Another thing I learnt was that obesity does not exist in this country. This is probably due to a number of factors, including the walking culture. People walk everywhere.
In a country with nearly 100 million, there are people everywhere at all times – in private cars, taxis but mainly walking.
Another interesting and perhaps relevant factor was that there were no American franchises anywhere in sight. No McDonald’s, no KFC, no Burger King. No fast-food chains to help expand Ethiopians’ waistlines.
That probably has less to do with development issues and more to do with a strong love of themselves and all things Ethiopian.
We hardly heard a foreign song playing anywhere, be it in a hotel, in a bus or on the streets. When we did hear something familiar, it was vintage Mariah Carey.
Cities
The trip took us to Addis Ababa, Adama and Hawassa. Three cities with diverse offerings.
Addis, as the locals call it, is the capital city. It’s probably the city that will see most of the development the Ethiopian government has planned for the next few years. At every turn a building is being renovated or constructed.
Adama is where the best resorts are and where the country could benefit from tourism.
Hawassa is home to one of many industrial parks found all over the country, some locally funded, others funded by foreign investors. These industrial parks have helped the country’s unemployment rate, which stands at 16%.
This is astounding, considering the country’s population, but the Minister of Finance and Economic Co-operation, Dr Abraham Tekeste, explained that the unemployment rate did not include people living in rural areas.
Chances are that the unemployment rate is much higher, because despite great strides in development over the past few years, poverty in this country is very real.
In Hawassa there is a fish market at the very large Hawassa Lake.
By 7am on a Saturday, young boys can be found trying to make some extra money by selling either fish, handbags or hand-made jewellery.
Others dance in front of you unsolicited and then ask for money.
They will not leave you until you pay them.
Locals say the children are not actually starving, just mischievous. However, taking a drive around this city, and others, you can see that the development drive the country is on will go a long way in improving lives of the Ethiopian people.
I learnt two other things which I think could be transferred to South Africa – in terms of housing projects and higher education fees.
The Ethiopian government pays for everyone to go to university, and once the person gets a job, they start paying the government half of the total fees.
This was an interesting revelation to South African journalists on the trip who watched the #FeesMustFall developments last year, which forced the setting up of a commission of inquiry into whether the government can afford free education.
The Ethiopian government also builds homes for people, but instead of giving them for free, the government pays a large portion, while the homeowner pays a smaller portion. Then there’s a lottery system, where people on application lists are chosen to receive these homes. This eliminates corruption, and the people receiving homes don’t just get things for free.
Overall, the eye-opening.
The Ethiopians’ outlook on life is inspiring. I learnt to always be open to learning new things and new ways of life. And despite the glaring poverty around them, the people are happy. They always wear a smile. trip was