Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) has entered into a strategic partnership with payments giant Mastercard to expand access to mobile financial services across Sub-Saharan Africa. This collaboration, hailed as one of the largest of its kind in the region, aims to enable Orange Money wallet holders to make digital payments through Mastercard’s extensive global merchant network by 2025.
The rollout of this partnership will initially cover seven countries: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance financial inclusion and support digital transformation across the continent. In addition to this partnership, Orange Money has previously collaborated with Cellulant in September 2022 to facilitate card-to-wallet transfers in Botswana.
Orange Money customers will have the option to obtain either a virtual or physical debit card, which will be directly linked to their Orange Money wallets. These cards can be used for a variety of transactions, including local and international payments, purchases with local merchants, and online transactions on any platform that accepts Mastercard.
The process for obtaining a virtual debit card is streamlined through Orange’s Super App, Max It, while physical cards can be collected at designated Orange Money Mastercard points of sale. “This partnership aligns with Orange’s broader strategy to provide more efficient and seamless payment solutions to its customers, further enhancing financial inclusion and supporting Africa’s digital transformation,” stated the telecommunications company.
Aminata Kane, CEO of Orange Money Group, Middle East and Africa, commented on the partnership, emphasizing that it will allow customers to use the Mastercard card linked to their Orange Money wallet for international travel and online shopping.
Orange currently serves over 160 million customers and boasts 37 million active Orange Money accounts across 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East. In related news, Orange Egypt, along with two other entities, has signed agreements with the Egyptian government for the second phase of 5G licenses, marking a significant step in the country’s technological advancement.
However, Orange Burkina Faso has been facing considerable challenges. Approximately 15% of its telecom sites are inaccessible due to regional conflicts, complicating maintenance efforts for the company’s technical teams and disrupting services in certain areas.
