The last few months have revealed a new trend in Ethiopia and more particularly in Addis Ababa. Indeed, the car decoration business is now the new fashion in the city. Whether it be flashy body polish, shining bumper guards, hardy mud flaps or even comfy seat cushions, the choice is really diverse. The last three years have seen many new car decoration businesses open in the Fileweha and Sebara Babur area in Addis Ababa. In spite of the government tax policy on automotive goods (considered as luxury goods) that makes the prices really high compared to Ethiopia's neighbours, the market is still expanding fast.
The customers are usually young, they are seeking for more protection on their cars as most part of the Ethiopian car market is made up second-hand cars. They also want their cars to look newer than they really are. Finally, with the car alarm installations and anti-theft systems, the customers want to feel reassured and avoid any robbery of their precious vehicle.
However, this new car pimping trend sometimes raises traffic safety issues. Indeed, the addition of bumber guards for example, is changing the size of the car, which some customers tend to forget. Some car decorations such as tinted glasses are also forbidden by the government although you can still see them in the streets.
And with the exploding car demand occuring in the country, we can bet that the car pimping business in Ethiopia is not yet to slow down !
