Commercial Bank of Ethiopia
www.combanketh.et/Founded: 1942 — Established in 1942 as the State Bank of Ethiopia; later restructured into separate central and commercial banking functions.
Headquarters: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Regulator: National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE)
Ownership: State-owned commercial bank
Branches: 1942
Operates as Ethiopia’s largest commercial bank; majority ownership is government/state.
About CBE
The Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE) is Ethiopia’s largest commercial bank and a core institution in the country’s financial system. It serves retail, SME, corporate, and public-sector customers with broad national coverage. CBE is also a key channel for government-related payments and large-scale financial services, while expanding digital banking and international correspondent capabilities.
Largest branch network in Ethiopia with extensive retail coverage nationwide.
Business Segments
Services
Retail
- Savings and current accounts
- Consumer loans (where applicable), salary-backed products
- Card services (ATM/debit), branch and agent-based service delivery
- Remittances and account services for diaspora-linked flows
SME
- SME accounts and working-capital support
- Merchant services and collections
- SME trade support (where offered under trade finance framework)
Corporate
- Corporate cash management
- Project and large-ticket lending (policy/availability varies)
- Payroll, bulk payments, and institutional collections
International
- Letters of credit (LCs) and trade services
- Correspondent banking relationships
- SWIFT-enabled international transfers
Digital Channels
Digital banking has been a growth focus alongside branch scale and institutional business.
Key Milestones
- • Scaled branch network to the largest in Ethiopia
- • Expanded digital banking and payments rails alongside physical coverage
- • Maintains major correspondent and international transfer capabilities
Sources
Annual ReportCompare exchange rates: View live CBE exchange rates for USD, EUR, GBP, and more on our Birr Value dashboard.