Sylvia Duruson
Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) and the payments giant Mastercard have joined forces to expand access to mobile financial services across Sub-Saharan Africa. This landmark partnership, one of the largest of its kind in the region, aims to empower millions of Orange Money wallet holders by enabling them to make digital payments through Mastercard’s global merchant network by 2025.
The collaboration will be rolled out in seven countries: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. This strategic move aligns with Orange’s broader strategy to offer more efficient and seamless payment solutions to its customers, further boosting financial inclusion and supporting Africa’s digital transformation.
In September 2022, Orange Money had already partnered with Cellulant to enable card-to-wallet transfers in Botswana, showcasing the company’s commitment to driving innovation in the financial services sector.
Through this new partnership with Mastercard, Orange Money customers will be able to obtain virtual or physical debit cards linked directly to their Orange Money wallets. These cards can be used for local and international payments, including transactions with local merchants and on any website or mobile app that accepts Mastercard.
Requesting a virtual debit card can be done through Orange’s Super App, Max It, while physical cards can be collected at specified Orange Money Mastercard points of sale. This seamless integration of Orange Money and Mastercard’s global network will provide customers with the convenience and flexibility to make secure digital payments, both locally and when traveling internationally.
Aminata Kane, CEO of Orange Money Group, Middle East and Africa, expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating that it will enable customers to pay with their Mastercard-linked Orange Money wallet when traveling abroad and allow them to shop online with ease.
Orange’s reach in Africa and the Middle East is expansive, with the company claiming over 160 million customers and 37 million active Orange Money accounts across 17 countries. This partnership with Mastercard is a significant step towards furthering financial inclusion and driving the continent’s digital transformation.
While Orange’s expansion in the region has been largely successful, the company has also faced challenges in Burkina Faso, where nearly 15% of its telecom sites have become inaccessible due to regional conflict, making maintenance and service delivery difficult.
Nonetheless, the partnership between Orange and Mastercard represents a promising future for digital payments in Sub-Saharan Africa, empowering individuals and businesses alike to participate in the growing digital economy.
