African Mirror
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God och Glad
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Seaglass
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432498
Visitors since May 22, 1999.
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Interview with Mrs Tigist Tesfaye, General Manager
Mrs Tesfaye. When I with a friend the other day visited one of your shops in central Addis Ababa, I overheard a conversation between two distinguished gentlemen. They looked at your glasses with astonishment and said "very interesting". Being a professional glass-artist my self I just have to agree with these two gentlemen. Your products have a quality of passionate craftsmanship.
To have such a quality on items as wineglasses, and I am thinking of your elaborated engravings, is very rare even in cities like New York or Paris.
This make me curious of the philosophy behind your company. Could you explain your thoughts on this?
I have travelled a lot around the world and I have always been interested in interior designs, souvenirs and gift items. Whenever I visit a new country I am curious to see what they do to make lasting impression on visitors. As you know, the image of Ethiopia is one of poverty, hunger and war. Indeed, we face such problems in our country but as you have seen yourself we also have a lot of good things to offer. It is my intention to do something about changing that image, to show that also good and beautiful things come out of Ethiopia. That is how the mission of my company began: to create a new generation of high quality souvenirs and gift items.
Cruising around Addis Ababa by car, you cant help but notice that everywhere there are new buildings erected to the sky. As I understand, these buildings are financed primarily by native investors. In ten years from now, Addis Ababa will look much different than today.
The name of your company is "Ethiopian Reflection". That is to reflect Ethiopia.
Regarding the rapid development of your country, how do you think that will be reflected in your company’s products ?
 I am glad to see developments like the ones you mentioned. And more is needed. In this country we need to create jobs for millions looking at the population’s growth rates. So in the future we will not only reflect the traditional and historical images of Ethiopia but it is our intention to include much more modern designs in our products, which will captivate the imagination of our clients and still be “made in Ethiopia”. It also our intention to produce our own glass products as an answer to all glasses that are now still imported.
Today there are two economical giants that take bigger and bigger steps on the world market. I am thinking of China and India. Not long ago, these two countries where considered by many "experts" as hopeless cases. Both China and India has a rich and old cultural history. So thus Ethiopia. You have been a sovereign nation for at least 3000 years. What role could the high cultural level of Ethiopia mean for the economic development?
The industrial development of Sweden around 100 years ago was made possible due to the investments in hydroelectric power and a vast railway system, thus making it possible to explore the resources of the nation. Are there similar potentials in the Ethiopian economy?
There certainly are. Today we see investments in the areas of oil exploitation and the further development of hydroelectric energy. Ethiopia has also vast areas of land and a good climate for horticultural production for export, which now is being developed. The potentials is there and has always been there. The challenge is to make sustainable use of our resources. With that I mean that we need to use our resources in a way so that they create benefits for many over a long period of time instead of short term gains for a few.
Your engravings have a three-dimensional quality that are rare these days. When African culture usually is promoted, it mainly consists of dramatic patterns on very colourful clothes. Beautiful, but almost never more than two dimensions. I could easily imagine the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci drinking his wine in one of your glasses.
The motives on your glasses are of Ethiopian nature, animals, clergy and historical buildings,
but to me your technique seems universal. Are you planning to go abroad with your products?
And if so, will you have other motives besides your Ethiopian to be able to cater for other countries, example the people of Finland ?
Apart from the more typical Ethiopian designs, we also do customized engravings for example for organizations, government, embassies as well as individuals. I don’t see a reason why we would not take on a customized assignment from abroad.
Ethiopian Reflection intends to expand its activities, combining production with the training of glass students. Could you elaborate more on that ?
 We are indeed planning to expand in that direction. The glass industry is not yet developed in this country and as I mentioned earlier, jobs for millions need to be created if we want to keep up with the numbers of school leavers. So we intend to produce our own glass products as well as train technicians in glass production techniques, who then can make a living by being employed or starting up their own business. I’d like to spearhead the development of the glass industry in this country.
As a citizen from Sweden, raised in the western world I am struck to which extent the people in Addis Ababa meet you with friendliness and a warm smile, despite the poverty that still is to be seen on the streets. Could you tell me some of what it is, that gives me that impression?
That is our culture. Our society is not as individualised as yours. Relationships are very important and we want to develop a good relationship first before doing anything else. Indeed there is much poverty but there is also a pride in being Ethiopian and welcoming visitors and make them feel at home.
At last I would like to ask you if you could give people that are contemplating to invest in Ethiopia, some guidelines ? What I mean is that from my own experience there are bigger differences between nations then what is usually considered. As a Swedish citizen I know that neighbours like Denmark or Norway has different outlook on many issues, regarding business.
My advice to potential foreign investors would be to come with an open and respectful mindset. There are indeed fundamental cultural differences between the way we do business here and what foreigners may be used to. That does not make any one of them a better way. One has to be aware of the Ethiopian and of one’s own culture and realise what the differences are, for instance in relating, making deals, managing our time etc. With that knowledge the foreign investor will be prepared and know better how to go about things here.
Thank You Mrs Tesfaye.
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