Orange Middle East and Africa teams up Mastercard to digitize Africa

This partnership is expected to allow Orange Money wallet users to leverage digital payments via Mastercard’s extensive global merchant network by 2025.

Only 48% of Africans have access to banking services

The collaboration will be launched in seven countries, including  Cameroon, Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Given that only 48% of Africa's adult population has access to banking services, as reported in the African Digital Banking Transformation Report, the collaboration between Orange and Mastercard aims to increase financial access and empower underserved communities. 

Orange Money customers will have the ability to instantly obtain a virtual or physical debit card linked directly to their Orange Money wallets. These cards will facilitate payments both locally and internationally, allowing transactions with local merchants as well as on any website or mobile app that accepts Mastercard. Customers can easily request their virtual debit card through Max it—Orange’s Super App—and pick up a physical card at a designated Orange Money Mastercard point of sale.

Digitalization and financial inclusion

Orange's network— having over 160 million customers and 37 million active Orange Money accounts across 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East—has demonstrated its significant role in promoting financial inclusion. By providing straightforward and secure transfer methods, payment tools, and various financial services through mobile devices, Orange Money has delivered affordable, and accessible financial solutions to those who were once marginalized from the formal financial system.

The partnership upgrades Mastercard’s role as a technology partner for telecommunications firms in Africa. With its knowledge in securing payment gateways, understanding local markets, and providing customised solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the company fosters growth, innovation, and financial inclusion throughout the continent. Additionally, this collaboration aligns with Orange’s wider strategy to deliver more efficient payment solutions to its customers, thereby advancing financial inclusion and aiding Africa’s digital transformation.