- Getahun has more than USD 350,000 worth of an investment in Juba and he makes around USD 20,000 per month.
The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the north and south in 2005 is one of the factors that paved the way for business opportunities in South Sudan.
After nearly half a century of on-and-off civil war between the two sides, the southerners are expected to vote next year on whether their semi-autonomous region should become a fully independent nation or not. Time is flying and the birth of a new state, the state of South Sudan, is nearer than ever.
Since the signing of the CPA, the government of Southern Sudan has been encouraging everyone to invest in South Sudan and exploit the opportunities it has in stored there. The main focus has been and still remains to be the commercial and business sector. As a result, a number of multinational, regional and local companies have encamped across South Sudan, contributing to the reconstruction of the region and provision of employment opportunities.
South Sudan is just five months away from a self-determination referendum that will most likely seal the separation from the North. Ethiopia is one of the neighboring countries that are strategic to the South Sudan. Ethiopia shares a border area of 1200 km with the about to be new state. Ethiopia’s Gambella region shares its borders with the Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei and Upper Nile states of South Sudan. As a result, the economic relationship there has been expanding considerably over the years.
After the referendum, Juba will assume the role of capital city. There are around 2000 Ethiopians living in South Sudan. Though most of them are employees and daily laborers, some own businesses too. Getahun Shibru, owner of the first Ethiopian restaurant in Juba, migrated to Kenya in 2006 in search of a better life. Before he left the country, he was working in SOS Ethiopia, a local orphanage earning 2,500 birr.
Life in Kenya was tough for him. After he spent four months in Nairobi, he planned to move to Uganda. But before he cross the Kenyan border he spent three weeks with a Kenyan businesswoman in the border town of Malwal where he learnt the big employment opportunity in South Sudan. However, he proceeded to Kampala again to come across some Sudanese people and obtain a profound knowledge about the country. Finally, he decided to travel to South Sudan and tried his luck in Juba. He found out that he can make a good profit from egg, salt, bottled water, milk and onions. Then Getahun decided to buy the listed goods from Kampala and made his way to South Sudan.
“I don’t know anyone in South Sudan but I started my journey anyway, putting my trust in God,” says Getahun. Passing through the border was very difficult, especially if you don’t have a passport, he added. He reached Yeyi, a border town of South Sudan, at midnight.
He said, “I had no idea where to go at that time.” But he started following the other folks since he realized they were looking for a place to stay. “I was starving to death since I had nothing to eat.” Finally, I found a place to pass the night, he added. “I slept on the ground inside a tent and amazingly it cost me around USD 8,” Getahun said. The next morning, Getahun faced another challenge; the bus which carried his merchandize didn’t show up. On the fifth day he was able to find the bus and went on to Juba.
In Juba he stayed in an Eritrean home for a while as there was nobody he knew. In the meantime, he sold all the goods that he brought from Kampala and made a good profit.
Later he returned to Yeyi and started to work with the Habesha restaurant owner. Then he managed to get land in Juba to open a restaurant. “Kush” was the first Ethiopian restaurant in Juba established in 2007.
Then he moved to Kampala bringing one employee from there to run the restaurant. “I perform most of the activities at the restaurant including serving the customers by myself. I borrowed some properties from Eritreans to augment the restaurant’s capacity," Getahun said. Kush started to grow faster than expected and became a famous restaurant.
Getahun told The Reporter that he managed to partner with a Sudanese businessman and opened a motel called “Tourist Motel,” which had 17 bedrooms. Currently, Getahun is building another lodge which has 15 bedrooms, each priced at USD 40 per night.
If the referendum resulted in separation, there will be a big business opportunity in South Sudan, according to Getahun. This is because there will be an infrastructural improvement when the country gets its independence, he explained. Many investors will start pouring into the country, which will create a business opportunity.
Getahun said that unlike other neighboring countries, Ethiopia is not exploiting the business opportunity in South Sudan. According to him, the absence of roads connecting Ethiopia to South Sudan is the main reason for that. Eventually, the road could connect South Sudan through Djibouti to the Red Sea which results in creating huge business opportunity to Ethiopia. The roads are vital since they bring foreign currency to Ethiopia. He said that the business potential in South Sudan is untapped.
At the moment, Getahun has 30 employees under him, most of them Ethiopians. Besides, he is planning to open a clinic in Juba. He also has a plan to invest in the agricultural sector in Ethiopia. He has more than USD 350,000 worth of an investment in Juba and he makes around USD 20,000 per month.
Yosef Gashaw, owner of Yagot PLC, established there three years ago, started business in South Sudan by importing cigarettes and other articles from Ethiopia. His company was an agent for the National Tobacco Enterprise (Ethiopia). In addition, he is also an agent for Anbessa Shoe Factory and imports military shoes from Ethiopia for South Sudan soldiers. more on Ethiopian Reporter
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