Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) and Mastercard have announced a strategic partnership to expand access to mobile financial services across Sub-Saharan Africa.
This collaboration, the largest of its kind in the region, is set to enable millions of Orange Money wallet holders to access digital payments through Mastercard’s global network of merchants by 2025.
The partnership will be rolled out in seven countries including Cameroon, Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Orange Money customers will be able to instantly obtain a virtual or physical debit card, linked directly to their Orange Money wallets.
These cards will allow seamless payments both locally and internationally, enabling transactions with local merchants and on any website or mobile app that accepts Mastercard.
Talking more about the importance of this partnership along with the empowering goal to uplift millions of Africans from a digital transformation perspective is Amnah Ajmal, Executive Vice President Market Development, Mastercard EEMEA, and CEO of Orange Money Group, Aminata Kane:
Loading...
Q.What motivated Orange and Mastercard to enter into this strategic partnership at this time, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Ajmal: This collaboration has come at a pivotal time for Africa, where there’s great momentum in the digital and financial services landscape. If we look back just a decade or so, mobile money was a bold, promising idea. Today, it is essential — it’s how millions in Africa access basic financial services.
But even with this leap forward, only about 48% of adults in Africa are banked. Mastercard and Orange share a mission to bridge that gap by making the global economy accessible to everyone, particularly those in underserved regions.
Our combined footprint and experience allow us to reach millions who might not otherwise be included in the digital economy. It is exciting to think about what this partnership means for individuals and businesses across Africa, and especially in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, where we are expanding mobile-based financial services through this collaboration.
Users can now engage in the global marketplace from wherever they are, with access to a digital ecosystem that’s inclusive and empowering. By 2025, millions will be able to shop, transact, and participate in the global economy, and we’re proud to be leading this change together.
Kane: The motivation behind this strategic partnership stems from a shared vision to significantly enhance financial inclusion and digital transformation across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The ambition for our Orange Money customers is to “break the walls” of payment. Today, an OM customer can already use their OM wallet to pay a local bill, a local merchant or on a local website. There are already many services used.
But how can our customer place an order to an international e-commerce website? How can they subscribe to Netflix, order on Alibaba or sponsor his ads on Facebook? How can they pay when travelling to Turkiye, Dubai or during a business trip to meet with suppliers in China?
In all these situations, we need international payment means with a global acceptance network like Mastercard’s. This partnership will help our Orange Money customers move from local to global payments. It will allow us to leapfrog the growth of our acceptance network and connect our Orange Money accounts to all major websites, merchants, and ATMs. This means so much in terms of business development for our pro and SME customers.
This partnership will empower millions of Orange Money wallet holders to make digital payments through Mastercard’s global network of merchants by 2025, thereby opening up new possibilities for financial independence and participation in the global economy.
Mastercard shares our ambition to drive financial inclusion and has a strong presence in Africa, making them an ideal partner for this initiative.
Q.How does this collaboration between Orange and Mastercard align with both companies’ broader goals of financial inclusion and digital transformation in Africa?
Ajmal: Mastercard’s core mission is to create an inclusive digital economy, and our mission is directly aligned with Orange’s commitment to creating a responsible digital world for Africa. We recognize that financial inclusion is not just a goal but a catalyst for economic growth and digital transformation.
By linking Orange Money wallets to Mastercard’s payment network, we are giving millions of people the freedom to transact securely, both locally and internationally.
We are proud to partner with Orange, where collaboratively we are removing the barriers that have kept so many Africans from fully engaging with the global digital economy, turning mobile devices into financial tools that allow seamless global payments. It’s a unique opportunity to bring our expertise together and make a lasting impact on Africa’s economic and digital landscape.
Kane: Financial inclusion is at the heart of Orange’s strategy on the African continent and is part of our desire to be a player in socio-economic development wherever we are present.
Orange is an economic player and contributor on the continent. We invest in connectivity to ensure the development of Orange Money. Through Orange Money, we offer increasingly innovative mobile financial services to meet the needs of our customers.
Orange and Mastercard are highly complementary: Orange brings a vast customer base and a wide range of everyday use cases, while Mastercard provides access to international markets, e-commerce, and high-value merchant payment networks.
This solution will enable Orange to save significant time in connecting with domestic and international merchants already equipped with Mastercard terminals. By partnering strategically, Orange can accelerate its merchant coverage, sometimes by several years. This approach aligns perfectly with our broader strategy to onboard tens of thousands of everyday merchants, including those operating in the informal sector.
Moreover, Orange contributes its ability to democratize financial services, deliver education, and leverage its strong distribution network. This includes equipping people currently excluded from traditional distribution channels with physical or virtual Mastercard cards, fostering greater financial inclusion.
Finally, Orange will tightly integrate our shared service into our ambitious digital program: our 15 million Maxit super app user base is available to more than 60% of our customers who already have a smartphone.
Q. Can you elaborate on the expected impact of empowering over 40 million Orange Money wallets with digital payment capabilities by 2025?
Kane: Orange Money is already mainstream, with over 100 million Africans using it to send and receive money, make payments, and access other financial services in 17 countries. This partnership could help to accelerate the growth of mobile money in Africa as Mastercard uses its expertise and resources to make mobile money more accessible to people across the continent.
This partnership will make Orange Money even more relevant as a global payment solution, thanks to the Mastercard ecosystem and support.
It will increase the perceived value of Orange Money for both high value customers and businesses that will be able to seamlessly connect their existing mobile wallet to the payments they need to perform on a daily basis, but also enable new usages for the mass market users that were kept away from accessing an international payment card. Both trends should increase our customers’ commitment to their mobile wallet, and increase the threshold at which a “full bank account” is needed.
Combining domestic efficiency and international relevance, we expect to become the most inclusive and dynamic mobile money operator in Africa in 2030.
Q. How does this partnership promote financial independence, particularly for the unbanked population in Sub-Saharan Africa, and what steps are being taken to ensure security in these transactions?
Ajmal: True financial independence comes from having reliable, accessible tools at your fingertips. This partnership with Orange means that millions of users can now use their Orange Money wallets to make secure, instant payments—whether that’s paying for goods, sending remittances, accessing online shopping, or making a hotel booking. This opens up a world of possibilities, particularly for those in remote areas where banking infrastructure is limited.
This collaboration also ensures these services meet the highest security standards. Mastercard has a longstanding reputation for safeguarding financial transactions globally, and we are applying the same rigor here, working with Orange’s in-depth market reach and knowledge.
Security is foundational, and our combined expertise ensures that users can transact safely. Ultimately, this collaboration is about empowering users, giving them confidence in their transactions, and ensuring they have a secure path to engage in the broader economy.
Q. How will Orange Money users benefit from having access to Mastercard’s global network, and what kind of opportunities will this unlock for them, particularly in underserved communities?
Kane: Many people might associate Mastercard with international payments and upscale stores in city centers. With this mindset, one might question the relevance of this service for underserved communities. While this perception holds some truth, it overlooks hundreds of practical use cases tailored to the needs of communities currently excluded from the financial system, such as rural populations, students, retirees, and others. These include withdrawing cash from secure ATMs available 24/7, accessing online training content, promoting a local business through sponsored Facebook pages to expand its reach, paying for digital content produced abroad, or ordering supplies from distant providers.
These are highly tangible use cases where the partnership between Orange Money and Mastercard proves to be an ideal fit. Based on our experience in a few pilot markets, all it takes is offering a simple solution and a few use cases for people to embrace it and adopt practices far beyond what we could have anticipated.
Q. Could you share insights on how this partnership will drive economic growth in these regions, especially with respect to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)?
Ajmal: SMEs are the backbone of Africa’s economy, driving job creation, innovation, and regional resilience. Through our partnership with Orange, SMEs now gain digital tools that open new markets and foster growth. This partnership provides SMEs with more ways to transact securely and reach a wider customer base, which is critical for their sustainability and scalability. Imagine a small business in Mali that previously relied only on cash transactions — now, with digital payments, they can streamline their sales, reduce cash-handling risks, and even build a transaction history that opens doors to microcredit.
Access to digital transactions also translates to data, which is invaluable for these businesses. SMEs gain insights into spending patterns and customer preferences, which helps them make more informed decisions.
At Mastercard, we are excited about these growth possibilities and the opportunities this partnership unlocks for African entrepreneurs to thrive, innovate, and grow.
Q. How do you envision this collaboration contributing to reducing the gap between formal banking and mobile financial services in Africa?
Kane: Bank penetration rates are still relatively low and vary from region to region, from 20% in Sub-Saharan countries to 60% in the Maghreb.
Around 100 million Africans, long excluded from the banking system, have opened an Orange Money account. It’s a major change: from anywhere, you can put your money safely in your Orange Money account, send it to whomever you like, pay for your shopping, your car registration sticker or your children’s schooling, and so on.
However, mobile money sometimes hits a glass ceiling. As usage grows, customers who rely on Orange Money as their primary account may encounter certain limitations. For instance, while they might receive their salary in their Orange Money account and use it daily for their purchases, they may find themselves unable to make online payment on international websites such as Facebook or Netflix, withdraw from an ATM or use their wallet when they travel abroad. These services are currently reserved for holders of bank accounts—accounts that are not accessible to everyone due to barriers such as minimum deposits, required documents, travel to branches, or monthly fees.
This partnership allows the Orange Money wallet to go further, breaking the ceiling on usage and bringing it closer to the capabilities of a full bank account, while maintaining the simplicity and accessibility that makes it available to the widest possible audience. Customers will no longer have to choose, especially when the banking option isn’t available to them. Their everyday account will meet all their new needs.
Q. How do you see this partnership evolving in the future to further advance Africa’s digital and financial transformation?
Kane: The partnership may evolve to include additional countries and financial products. As digital infrastructure improves, the collaboration could expand to incorporate more innovative solutions that cater to the diverse needs of African consumers and businesses.
There are many options to explore. Developing the virtual card is one, facilitating supplier payments is another. We can also envision linking this card to the credit and overdraft solutions we have launched in several countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Botswana. Finally, by analyzing the usage data from our new service, we will be able to significantly enhance our offerings at both Mastercard and Orange Money—undoubtedly uncovering some major surprises along the way.
Q. What are the biggest challenges and opportunities you anticipate in rolling out this partnership across the seven countries and what are the plans to expand this collaboration beyond the initial seven countries?
Kane: As we can see it, we have three main challenges:
- Regulatory framework which imposes some limits to the Mobile Money Operators that are necessary from a regulation perspective but that sometimes limit the services we can provide customers. While some regions are ahead, some countries still see mobile money as a risk or a new tax opportunity rather than a fantastic accelerator of financial inclusion.
- Varying levels of digital literacy in different countries. What made the success of Orange Money is the pedagogy and the education. We carry on with any new service.
- Adapting to the unexpected in an agile way. A payment card linked to a mobile money account behaves fundamentally differently from one linked to a bank account. The reasons for transaction failures are different, the target merchants are different, and both the frequency and average transaction amounts vary. Orange Money and Mastercard will need to adapt to this new framework to evolve the solution and better meet customer expectations.
We work daily on tackling these issues with our teams in our 17 markets, but also with our suppliers, partners, and with the regulatory bodies. Expansion is of course on the menu. We are considering many new markets and new products, capitalizing on the experience gathered from the first markets. We are excited to learn about customers behaviors and knowing how innovative Africans are, see how they create new use cases that were not the initial ones. We are also betting on merchants, mainly informal and SMEs. They are the backbone of our economies, and they need all the tailored financial tools to support their growth and way to prosperity.
Q. How does the partnership fit into Orange’s and Mastercard’s long-term strategies for the African continent, particularly in terms of leveraging mobile technology to enhance financial services?
Ajmal: At Mastercard, we have long envisioned a digital economy that’s accessible to everyone, everywhere, and Africa is at the forefront of this vision. This partnership with Orange harnesses the power of mobile technology, which is already transforming the way Africans engage with financial services. Orange’s reach and our secure, digital payment capabilities create an ecosystem that is accessible, sustainable, and resilient.
We see this partnership as laying a foundation for further innovations across Africa. By 2025, we are aiming not only to provide practical tools but also to foster a landscape where digital wallets offer everything from payments to microloans and e-commerce access.
For Mastercard and Orange, this isn’t just a regional initiative but a long-term commitment to empowering Africa through meaningful, scalable technology solutions that meet the continent’s unique needs.
Kane: Our vision has always been to drive digital transformation and financial inclusion across Africa.
Our objective is to provide accessible, reliable, and secure financial services to underserved communities, thereby empowering individuals and fostering economic growth.
With over 100 million Orange Money accounts in 17 countries, we have built a robust network and infrastructure that supports this vision.
By partnering with Mastercard, we are further strengthening our commitment to offering innovative and seamless payment solutions that meet the needs of our customers.
We aim to achieve this fully and quickly. With partners like Mastercard, we save time by integrating into our offering robust networks built over decades, and we create opportunities to innovate together in the longer term, drawing on the daily feedback from our customers.
Loading...