{
  "id": 17984755,
  "title": "Africa operations are driving Orange growth, says regional CEO",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/africa-operations-are-driving-orange-growth-says-regional-ceo",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-03T14:49:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Africa Business",
    "slug": "africa-business",
    "url": "https://african.business/2026/11/technology-information/africa-operations-are-driving-orange-growth-says-regional-ceo"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Yasser Shaker, Orange's executive vice-president and CEO of its Middle East and Africa division, is optimistic about the region's growth prospects. In 2025, Orange's Africa and Middle East (OMEA) operation generated €8.43bn in revenue, marking a 12.2% annual increase. The division accounted for 20.9% of the company's €40.4bn revenue and had 179 million customers. In the first half of 2026, regional revenue grew by 13.9% year-on-year, compared to a 3.5% increase across the group. Shaker attributes this success to Africa's demographic advantages and structural characteristics. With a growing population and youthful customer base, Africa still presents opportunities for subscriber additions and usage growth. While connectivity remains crucial, Shaker emphasizes the potential of ancillary services, such as fintech and business digital services, which are growing exponentially across the continent. The region's operating model, which relies on shared service models and shared service centers, helps overcome challenges posed by varying purchasing power, regulations, infrastructure, and digital economy maturity across countries. Orange's Global Network Operations Center and shared software platforms enable efficient management of services across multiple countries. The company's Orange Money platform, with 47 million active users in 2025, exemplifies this approach, with shared resources facilitating expansion while adapting to local regulations and needs. Shaker envisions a future where 75 million Africans use Orange's super app, Max it, by 2028. However, challenges remain, including affordability and device access for the estimated 900 million Africans who are not yet using mobile services.",
  "summary": "Africa and the Middle East now account for a fifth of Orange's revenue and are driving much of its growth, regional CEO Yasser Shaker says.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}