Orange Money has entered into a strategic partnership with South African fintech company JUMO to provide mobile-based credit services to millions of unbanked and underbanked individuals across Africa. This collaboration aims to bridge the financial gap by enabling users to access microloans directly through their mobile wallets, without the need for traditional banking infrastructure.
The new service allows Orange Money customers to apply for small loans via the Orange Money mobile app or through USSD codes, making it accessible even to users without smartphones. Once a loan request is submitted, JUMO’s advanced AI-driven platform analyzes the applicant’s mobile transaction history—such as airtime purchases, peer-to-peer transfers, and bill payments—to assess creditworthiness. This data-driven approach enables instant loan approvals or rejections, bypassing the need for credit scores or collateral.
If approved, the loan amount is immediately disbursed into the customer’s Orange Money wallet. Repayments are automatically deducted from the wallet on scheduled dates, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience.
The service will first launch in Burkina Faso, with Mali and Botswana slated to follow shortly. Orange and JUMO plan to expand the offering to a broader range of countries in the near future, particularly in regions where access to formal financial services remains limited.
Orange currently serves over 110 million mobile subscribers across 17 African countries, and in 2024 alone, it processed more than €160 billion in mobile money transactions. JUMO, on the other hand, has already facilitated over $8 billion in loans to 31 million users across Africa and Asia. Its proprietary technology is designed to keep lending risk below 4%, thanks to its ability to analyze behavioral data rather than relying on conventional credit metrics.
JUMO’s platform is already powering mobile financial products for major telecom operators like MTN and Airtel, as well as for global banking institutions such as Ecobank and Absa. The partnership with Orange further strengthens its footprint in Africa, adding to its presence in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, and Pakistan.
This initiative reflects a growing trend across the continent, where telecom operators are teaming up with fintech firms to offer financial services to underserved populations. For example, in Nigeria, PalmPay—backed by Chinese investors—provides mobile-based loans, insurance, and savings products to over 35 million users, many of whom lack access to traditional banks.
By leveraging telecom infrastructure and AI-powered credit scoring, Orange and JUMO are helping to democratize access to financial services, especially in regions where formal lending has historically been inaccessible or inefficient.
Aminata Kane, CEO of Orange Money, emphasized the human impact of the partnership, stating:
This initiative is about supporting our customers in their personal projects and helping them manage everyday emergencies. We’re committed to rolling this out across a wide range of countries.
Andrew Watkins-Ball, founder of JUMO, highlighted the broader implications for financial inclusion:
“This collaboration will provide customers with great financial choices and opens up new markets for our banking partners. It’s a significant step toward expanding access to fair and affordable credit.”
With Orange piloting its credit services in Francophone Africa and JUMO preparing to enter new markets like Nigeria and Cameroon, this partnership could significantly reshape how millions of Africans access short-term credit—without ever stepping into a bank.
