Similar to the picture of the Ryanair crew that was doing the rounds recently. Ethiopian are a member of the Star Alliance already. They are assisting in the set up and running of Airlines in Malawi and Zambia. Making consistent profits suggests competence and they can afford to bring in outside expertise if needed.
I can think of a major hub airline, based in the Middle East who enjoy a very supportive regulatory authority.
Ethopian are by no means perfect, security would be a significant consideration. There have been a number of hijackings, including one in 2014 by the copilot and the B767 ditching. There was also the B737 which crashed on departure from Beirut in 2010.
Measured by African standards they come out very well, though obviously not comparable to Singapore Airlines or Qatar Airways.
Zambia has a poor history with its airlines, the national carrier went bankrupt in 1994 and they need to virtually start from scratch where as Ethiopian are already well established.
Whilst I can’t see them rivaling Emirates, they could become the go to airline for Africa and a reasonable option on other routes if the fares are low enough.