Orange accelerates deployment of its mobile payment service, Orange Money, in Africa
(105.2 KB)
Paris, May 25, 2010 
Orange has launched its mobile payment service, Orange Money, in three additional African countries, Senegal, Mali and Madagascar in recent weeks. These launches mark a turning point in the Group's ambition to launch Orange Money across its footprint in Africa and reflect its commitment to developing mobile-based services that improve people's lives in emerging countries.
Orange Money is an innovative, mobile phone-based payment system that allows customers to carry out simple banking operations and transactions in total security. Such services offer a huge potential in Africa where less than 10% of the population have access to a bank account and yet over a third have a mobile phone.
The service allows mobile customers to deposit and withdraw money, to transfer money, to easily buy call credit, to pay for goods at certain retail partners and to pay bills. Orange is also studying customer needs in each market, with the intention of developing additional, more advanced mobile payment services such as international money transfers.
The service is available for all Orange customers whether or not they have a bank account. The Orange Money account is activated free of charge and without any minimum deposit. Orange Money is built around a system that is fully compliant with the regulations. One of the purpose of the Orange Money system is to reduce the risks of theft or fraud on the transactions.
Orange's mobile-payment service is built around partnerships with banks, which are responsible for issuing and guaranteeing the electronic money. For countries in Western Africa for example, the Group is working with local subsidiaries of BNP Paribas (BICIS, BICIM). Orange is responsible for the service’s IT platform and marketing, and also provides the benefit of its extensive distribution networks in each country.
The launch of Orange Money in Senegal, Mali and Madagascar follows on from the launch of the service in the Côte d'Ivoire in December 2008 after extensive trials. Here, the service has met with considerable commercial success. This growth is expected to accelerate in the coming years as the customer base reaches a critical mass and the service becomes part of everyday habits.
Commenting on this launch, Marc Rennard, Orange’s Executive Director for the Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific Region, stated that: “Orange Money is a very important part our strategy in Africa and emerging markets. Mobile payment services have the potential to bring cost-effective and secure access to banking services to people with low-incomes, who often live in rural or remote areas. By providing our customers with the means to save money, pay bills and run their businesses, we are not only reinforcing customer fidelity but we are also able to play an active role in the economic development of the country”.
Orange Money will also be launched in Niger and Kenya in the coming months, and will eventually be extended across the Group's entire footprint in Africa and the Middle East.
More information is available on the specific Orange Money offers in each country on their official websites: Côte d'Ivoire: www.orange.ci; Senegal: www.orange-money.sn; Mali: www.orangemali.com/omoney; Madagascar: www.orange.mg
Orange has launched its mobile payment service, Orange Money, in three additional African countries, Senegal, Mali and Madagascar in recent weeks. These launches mark a turning point in the Group's ambition to launch Orange Money across its footprint in Africa and reflect its commitment to developing mobile-based services that improve people's lives in emerging countries.
Orange Money is an innovative, mobile phone-based payment system that allows customers to carry out simple banking operations and transactions in total security. Such services offer a huge potential in Africa where less than 10% of the population have access to a bank account and yet over a third have a mobile phone.
The service allows mobile customers to deposit and withdraw money, to transfer money, to easily buy call credit, to pay for goods at certain retail partners and to pay bills. Orange is also studying customer needs in each market, with the intention of developing additional, more advanced mobile payment services such as international money transfers.
The service is available for all Orange customers whether or not they have a bank account. The Orange Money account is activated free of charge and without any minimum deposit. Orange Money is built around a system that is fully compliant with the regulations. One of the purpose of the Orange Money system is to reduce the risks of theft or fraud on the transactions.
Orange's mobile-payment service is built around partnerships with banks, which are responsible for issuing and guaranteeing the electronic money. For countries in Western Africa for example, the Group is working with local subsidiaries of BNP Paribas (BICIS, BICIM). Orange is responsible for the service’s IT platform and marketing, and also provides the benefit of its extensive distribution networks in each country.
The launch of Orange Money in Senegal, Mali and Madagascar follows on from the launch of the service in the Côte d'Ivoire in December 2008 after extensive trials. Here, the service has met with considerable commercial success. This growth is expected to accelerate in the coming years as the customer base reaches a critical mass and the service becomes part of everyday habits.
Commenting on this launch, Marc Rennard, Orange’s Executive Director for the Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific Region, stated that: “Orange Money is a very important part our strategy in Africa and emerging markets. Mobile payment services have the potential to bring cost-effective and secure access to banking services to people with low-incomes, who often live in rural or remote areas. By providing our customers with the means to save money, pay bills and run their businesses, we are not only reinforcing customer fidelity but we are also able to play an active role in the economic development of the country”.
Orange Money will also be launched in Niger and Kenya in the coming months, and will eventually be extended across the Group's entire footprint in Africa and the Middle East.
More information is available on the specific Orange Money offers in each country on their official websites: Côte d'Ivoire: www.orange.ci; Senegal: www.orange-money.sn; Mali: www.orangemali.com/omoney; Madagascar: www.orange.mg
Press contacts
+33 1 44 44 93 93
Tom Wright, tom.wright@orange-ftgroup.com
Sébastien Audra, sebastien.audra@orange-ftgroup.com
Tom Wright, tom.wright@orange-ftgroup.com
Sébastien Audra, sebastien.audra@orange-ftgroup.com
© France Telecom - Orange 2012
