World leading telecoms giant, Orange , has announced the launch of its brand in Burkina Faso.
This is coming less than one year after the closing of the Group’s acquisition of Airtel, together with Orange Côte d’Ivoire.
Analysts say the development clearly demonstrates Orange’s ambitions for the West African market.
It would be recalled that Business Hilights had reported some time ago that Orange has been targeting Nigeria’s telecoms market but wishes to hit the market through acquisition and not just mere entering.
The company had angled debt-ridden Etiasalat but for the timely rescue deal brokered by the regulator, the NCC and apex bank.
Orange Group however said it will pursue its development in mobile financial services and 3.75G mobile Internet, where it was the first operator to launch and is today the uncontested leader in Burkina Faso.
Its Orange Money solution for international transfers will be further expanded in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). The expansion of its optical fibre network will contribute to increasing its brand awareness as the leading provider of Internet access and connectivity to enterprises. Thanks to an ambitious network modernization plan and the strength of its parent company’s innovation capability, Orange Burkina Faso will bring an incomparable customer experience to its 6.3 million subscribers.
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Orange group and Chairman and CEO of Orange MEA (Middle East and Africa), Bruno Mettling, averred that “It is a great honour for the Orange group to inaugurate its presence in Burkina Faso at a time when the country is resolutely engaged in a vast economic development programme. The arrival of the Orange brand testifies to our commitment to providing the benefits of the digital ecosystem to the entire population of Burkina Faso.”
Statistics show that Orange is present in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East, where it has more than 120 million customers
According to the CEO of Orange in Burkina Faso, Ben Cheick Haidara, “Today, customers in Burkina Faso are more demanding and the way they use digital services has evolved; we are at a decisive turning point in the development of the telecoms market. Our ambition is to continue the work accomplished in recent years in the mobile money and mobile Internet fields to make Orange the leading partner for Burkina Faso’s digital transformation.”
Orange is present in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East, where it has more than 120 million customers. With 5.2 billion euros in revenues in 2016 (12% of the total), this region is a strategic priority for the Group. Orange Money, its flagship offer for money transfers and mobile financial services is currently available in 17 countries and has more than 30 million customers.
