Keypoints:
- Virtual Visa cards expand across African markets
- Service targets online payments and inclusion
- Rollout planned for new West and Central African countries
ORANGE Money Group and Visa have announced a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating online payments and widening access to financial services across Africa and the Middle East, as mobile money platforms increasingly become gateways to the digital economy.
The collaboration, already live in Botswana, Madagascar and Jordan, has now been extended with the launch of a virtual Visa card for Orange Money users in Cote d’Ivoire. According to the companies, the Cote d’Ivoire rollout has recorded strong early uptake, reinforcing their shared ambition to build a more inclusive and accessible payments ecosystem.
The initiative marks a new phase in a broader effort to provide millions of users with a simple, secure and internationally recognised way to pay online, particularly in markets where traditional banking penetration remains limited.
Virtual cards embedded in mobile wallets
At the heart of the partnership is the Orange Money Visa virtual card, which is directly accessible through the Max it super app. Users can instantly create a virtual card, fund it from their Orange Money wallet at any time, and use it to make secure payments on local and international e-commerce platforms.
Orange said a physical Visa card linked to Orange Money accounts will be introduced later and made available through authorised Orange Money points of sale, further broadening access for users who prefer card-based transactions.
By embedding card functionality within a mobile money wallet, the companies aim to bridge the gap between cash-based economies and the global digital marketplace, allowing individuals and small businesses to transact beyond national borders.
Expansion planned for new markets
Building on deployments already underway, the Orange Money–Visa partnership is set to expand gradually into additional African markets, including Guinea, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries represent fast-growing mobile money markets where demand for online payment solutions is rising alongside smartphone adoption and digital commerce.
Orange Money said the expansion strategy reflects its broader mission to simplify access to digital services and enable more people to participate fully in the digital economy, regardless of geography or device type.
Executives stress inclusion and scale
Thierry Millet, chief executive of Orange Money Group, said the partnership would significantly expand payment options for the company’s customer base.
‘Thanks to Orange Money, our 45 million customers can make everyday payments at millions of physical retail locations and with online merchants in their country,’ Millet said. ‘They can now create their virtual Visa card in just a few seconds and make international online payments across the Visa network.’
He added that the initiative represents the first step in positioning Orange Money as a widely accepted payment method, from global e-commerce platforms to local neighbourhood merchants.
Ismahill Diaby, Visa’s vice-president and general manager for Western and Central Francophone and Lusophone Africa, said the partnership would help bring the benefits of the digital economy to more users.
‘By combining Visa’s trusted technology with Orange Money’s local reach, this partnership offers a simple, secure way for more people and small businesses to pay online,’ Diaby said, adding that it would support confidence in everyday commerce.
A growing footprint in African fintech
Orange currently serves more than 173 million customers across 17 African countries, with around 45 million active Orange Money accounts. The company has positioned mobile financial services as a cornerstone of its African strategy, particularly in markets underserved by traditional banks.
Visa’s global acceptance network and security infrastructure, Orange said, would help ensure a seamless and trusted payment experience for users as digital transactions continue to grow across the continent.
As Africa’s fintech landscape becomes more competitive, partnerships between telecom operators and global payments firms are increasingly shaping how consumers and businesses access financial services at scale.
