የኢትዮጲያ ኢኮኖሚ ላይ ምን እየተፈጠረ ነው? - Mukemil Bedru - S15 Ep189

"Cash flow is more important than profit." — Mukemil BedruOur guest for this episode is Mukemil Bedru, Founder & Managing Partner of Valcrest Capital, and Co-Founder of Hijra Bank. From helping establish Ethiopia's first generation of investment banking institutions to advising businesses through one of the country's biggest economic transitions, Mukemil brings a front-row perspective on the future of Ethiopian finance.In this conversation, we unpack Ethiopia's changing capital markets, foreign banks, startup financing, investment banking, and the policy shifts reshaping the economy. Mukemil also shares why cash flow matters more than profit, how he hires and builds teams, and why entrepreneurs must build institutions—not just businesses.Shik Cleaning Service: You can reach their Service Via: 0940270521 / 0997298286 https://www.shikcleaning.com/Visit the Bank of Abyssinia Official Website: https://www.bankofabyssinia.com/ GIZ:https://www.giz.de/de/downloads/giz2023-en-private-sector-development-in-ethiopia.pdfAmibara Properties: You can reach their sales and corporate consulting teams via the following contact lines:-Line 1: +251 901 69 69 69 Line 2: +251 969 36 36 36 To advertise on Meri:https://meri.et/advertise+251974255555info@meri.et00:00 - Teaser & Episode Highlights00:01:36 - Sponsor Announcement00:02:36 - Introduction & Guest Welcome00:05:50 - Launching Prime Capital Investment Bank00:06:43 - Commercial Banking vs. Investment Banking Explained00:11:13 - The State of Ethiopia's Emerging Capital Market00:14:10 - Debt vs. Equity Financing for Businesses00:19:55 - Floating the Birr: Foreign Exchange Reforms Update00:28:13 - NBE Policy Updates: Credit Cap Removal & Exporter FX Retention00:34:13 - Special Economic Zones & Free Trade Zone Benefits00:40:07 - Franco Valuta Regime: Black Market Impact & Tighter Rules00:49:21 - Opening Ethiopia's Banking Sector to Foreign Banks00:51:38 - Founder Mindset: Building in Silence vs. Seeking Publicity00:56:44 - Ethiopian Domestic Banks vs. Entering Foreign Banks01:04:14 - Ethiopia’s Startup Ecosystem & The New Startup Proclamation01:16:32 - "Pitch-preneurs" vs. Real Business Execution01:25:12 - Profit vs. Cash Flow: Why Profitable Companies Fail01:33:02 - Financial Discipline & Managing Working Capital01:41:48 - Raising Capital & Financial Readiness for Ethiopian Businesses01:52:05 - Ease of Doing Business & Collateral Registration Issues01:56:35 - High-Growth Sectors to Watch in the Current Economy02:00:40 - How Mukemil Bedru Would Start a Business from Scratch Today02:04:15 - Talent Acquisition: Hiring for Character over Competence02:16:44 - Adapting to Rapid Policy Changes & Final Thoughts02:21:46 - Team Spotlight: Former Staff Launching "Shek Cleaning Service"Social Linkshttps://t.me/MERI\_PODCASThttps://twitter.com/MERI\_Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/meripodcast/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzKNuQ80qNSpt2x-7dsazJghttps://youtube.com/@Meriwoch?si=yIpJ3byprnVNwKi1https://youtube.com/@mericlipset?si=wwa0KeQ\_Nv2aPy9lhttps://www.tiktok.com/@meripodcasthttps://www.linkedin.com/company/meriethiopian/Copyright Notice for Meri Podcast:All rights reserved.The content featured in this podcast is protected by copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or modification of any portion of this podcast is strictly prohibited.For permission to use our content, please contact us at info@meri.etThank you for respecting our copyright.