Strategic Alliance to Bring Virtual Visa Cards to 45 Million Mobile Money Users, Accelerating Financial Inclusion
Orange Money Group and Visa have announced a major strategic partnership aimed at significantly accelerating online payments and democratizing access to financial services across Africa and the Middle East.
This alliance marks a new milestone in the shared ambition of the two companies: to provide millions of users with a simple, secure, and internationally recognized payment solution that requires no traditional bank account.
At the core of the partnership is the Orange Money Visa virtual card, which is instantly accessible to users via the Max it app. This innovation allows customers to:
- Instantly Create a virtual card linked directly to their Orange Money mobile wallet.
- Fund the Card anytime from their mobile money account.
- Make Secure Payments on both local and international websites across the global Visa network.
The virtual card has already seen successful deployment and renewal in Botswana, Madagascar, and Jordan, with a strong recent launch in Côte d’Ivoire. Building on this success, the service will be gradually rolled out to new high-growth markets, including Guinea, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Whether they are individuals or entrepreneurs, they can now create their virtual Visa card in just a few seconds and make international online payments across the Visa network,” said Thierry Millet, CEO, Orange Money Group. “This is the first step in this strategic partnership, which will help make Orange Money a widely accepted payment method, from major online platforms to local neighborhood merchants.”
For Orange Money, which currently serves 45 million active accounts across 17 countries, this partnership is fully aligned with its core mission of promoting financial inclusion. By combining mobile money’s deep local reach with Visa’s global acceptance and trusted technology, the collaboration addresses a structural gap in many African economies.
- Empowering the Unbanked: The solution offers millions of people without traditional bank accounts a direct pathway to participate in the global digital economy.
- Boosting E-commerce: It provides a much-needed, secure tool for making local and cross-border online purchases, supporting the growth of e-commerce and digital services.
- Future Physical Card: A physical Visa card linked to the Orange Money account is also planned for future release, which will further broaden access for in-store transactions.
Ismahill Diaby, Vice-President, General Manager – Western and Central Francophone & Lusophone Africa, Visa commented:
“We’re excited to partner with Orange Money to bring the advantages of the digital economy to millions of people across Africa. 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.”
This strategic alliance is expected to reinforce the shift towards interoperable digital ecosystems in Africa, providing greater confidence and functionality to Orange’s 173 million customers across the continent.
