Keypoints:
- Orange Money launches AI-driven microloans via JUMO
- New credit services target unbanked Africans
- First rollouts in Burkina Faso, Mali, Botswana
ORANGE Money Group has announced a major partnership with financial technology firm JUMO to expand digital microcredit services across Africa, in a move aimed at accelerating financial inclusion for the continent’s unbanked populations.
With over 100 million customers across 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East, Orange Money processed more than EUR160bn in transactions in 2024 alone. The partnership with JUMO, a leading banking-as-a-service platform, will introduce scalable microloan offerings powered by artificial intelligence and data analytics.
According to Orange Money Group, the collaboration aligns with its strategy to evolve beyond basic transfers and payments to provide everyday financial tools for underserved customers.
‘After developing transfer and payment services used thousands of times every second, we now aim to support our customers in their personal projects and everyday emergencies,’ said Aminata Kane, CEO of Orange Money Group. ‘By partnering with JUMO, we aim to accelerate this momentum and roll out fast, transparent, and accessible credit services across our footprint.’
AI-backed credit risk management
JUMO, which has disbursed over $8bn to more than 31 million customers across Africa, brings deep expertise in AI-powered credit risk management. Its platform enables lenders to reduce risk costs to below four percent, while delivering short-term and instalment loans to customers without traditional banking access.
The fintech’s AI models evaluate eligibility using mobile transaction data, enabling instant credit decisions without the need for collateral or bank accounts. Through this partnership, Orange Money customers will be able to request and receive credit directly through their mobile wallets, using either app or USSD interfaces.
Andrew Watkins-Ball, JUMO’s CEO and founder, described the partnership as a ‘milestone in inclusive finance’.
‘We are proud to partner with Orange to connect its customers to loan products from leading African banks using our platform,’ he said. ‘This collaboration will create a microfinance marketplace in emerging markets and help bank partners expand into new geographies.’
Multi-country rollout starts with Francophone Africa
The new credit services will launch first in Burkina Faso, with plans to expand into Mali and Botswana shortly thereafter. The broader rollout will include a variety of credit products supported by multiple banking and funding partners, tailored to consumers, merchants, and distributors who have been largely excluded from formal financial systems.
JUMO’s embedded lending model allows seamless onboarding for users via Orange Money. The credit journey is simple:
- Users log into their Orange Money wallet
- They select a credit amount
- JUMO’s AI system evaluates their eligibility
- Approved loans are instantly disbursed
- Repayments are automatically deducted based on agreed terms
This digital-first approach is designed to bring financial products closer to everyday users in underserved regions, many of whom lack traditional credit histories or access to banking infrastructure.
Enabling sustainable growth in digital finance
The partnership is expected to deliver tangible impact by expanding Orange Money’s product suite and accelerating credit access to marginalised communities. JUMO’s history of collaboration with development finance institutions and pan-African banks adds further depth to the venture, enabling sustainable and responsible lending across diverse customer segments.
By building a multi-country, multi-product, and multi-funder ecosystem, Orange Money and JUMO aim to redefine mobile-led finance in Africa, with particular focus on Francophone nations often left behind in the digital finance boom.
