Côte d’Ivoire issues virtual Visa card which will be rolled out in Guinea, Burkina Faso and Democratic Republic of the Congo after success in Botswana, Madagascar and Jordon
Orange Money Group and Visa announce a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating online payments and democratising access to financial services across Africa and the Middle East. Orange Money says this partnership aligns with its mission to promote financial inclusion, regardless of country or device.
The virtual Visa card was launched by the two parties in Botswana, Madagascar and Jordan, where the partnership has been renewed. Now Orange Money Côte d’Ivoire has introduced the virtual Visa card and the plan is to progressively roll out the service into markets including Guinea, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Orange Money Visa virtual card is accessed via the Max it app, which allows users to create a card immediately which can be topped up anytime from their Orange Money account. The intention is to make it easy to pay local and international sites securely, online. A physical card will also be offered later at authorised Orange Money points of sale.
Thierry Millet, CEO, Orange Money Group, comments, “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. 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.
“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.”
Ismahill Diaby, Vice-President, General Manager — Western and Central Francophone & Lusophone Africa, Visa, added, “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 — helping them participate confidently in everyday commerce.”
Relationship with Mastercard
In October 2024, Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) and Mastercard announced a strategic partnership to expand access to mobile financial services across Sub-Saharan Africa. This collaboration, described then as “one of the largest of its kind in the region” and “set to enable millions of Orange Money wallet holders to access digital payments through Mastercard’s global network of merchants by 2025”. The partnership will be rolled out in seven countries including Cameroon, Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
