How is Visa Supporting Africa’s Digital Economy with Orange?

Orange Money has teamed up with Visa for more inclusive and accessible finance in Africa and the Middle East. 

The partnership also aims to bring an increase in the volume of online payments across the regions. 

After success in Botswana, Jordan and Madagascar, the virtual Visa card will be gradually rolled out in Burkina Faso, Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Orange Money and Visa: How does it work?

Accessible to users directly from within Orange’s ‘Max it’ app, the virtual card from Visa can be funded at any time from an Orange Money bank account. 

The ability to create a virtual card will be instant. Orange state that physical cards will be made available at authorised Orange Money points of sale locations later down the line. 

Thierry Millet, CEO of 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 neighbourhood merchants.”

Virtual cards will enable Orange Money users to act out secure online transactions on local and international websites. 

Together, Orange and Visa aim to provide up to 49 million active Orange Money users with a simple and internationally recognised payment solution. 

Ismahill Diaby, Vice-President and General Manager for Western and Central Francophone & Lusophone Africa at Visa states: “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 – helping them participate confidently in everyday commerce.”

Visa: Financial inclusion through partnerships and crypto

Visa’s mission of financial inclusion extends from partnering with Orange Money Group to its recent pairing with neobank Revolut.

Recently, the payment rails giant was announced to be the supporting partner for Revolut’s ultra-premium business card, Titan. 

The card, expected to launch in early 2026, is aimed at businesses with high-growth. It allows for the integration of advanced spend management. 

Revolut is one of the 14,500 financial institutions supported by Visa. 

In addition to supporting digital payments for individuals, Visa recently pushed forward with innovations in agentic commerce. 

The combined digital strategy of Visa and AWS saw the integration of Visa’s Intelligent Commerce solution to Amazon Marketplace. 

The collaboration oversees the inclusion of tools and blueprints that enable AI-powered digital transactions in sectors such as B2B, travel and retail. 

Continuing to transform global payments through innovation, Visa also introduced a pilot for stablecoin settlement earlier this year. 

Speed of access was highlighted as a major driver in the adoption of digital payments among content creators in Visa’s 2025 Creator Economy Report. 

The pilot aims at bringing efficient payouts directly to the businesses’ digital wallets as part of an expansion of the Visa Direct platform. 

Chris Newkirk, President, Commercial & Money Movement Solutions at Visa said at the time: "Launching stablecoin payouts is about enabling truly universal access to money in minutes - not days - for anyone, anywhere in the world.”

The innovation addresses longstanding challenges in global payouts, particularly for creators, freelancers and marketplace participants operating in markets with currency volatility or limited banking infrastructure.