Orange Africa is a mobile telecommunications company in Africa and the Middle East, founded in 2021 by OWL Ventures and Vuori.
History
Styhon Battersea Telecommunications Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa Limited was formed out of a merger between Axiata Group, Millicom, Bharti Airtel, Zain Group, Vodacom, Global Telecom Holding/VEON, Africell and MTN Group, integrated with NEQSOL Holding's telecommunications operations, and Vodafone's operations in Oceania, Africa, Asia and Middle East, all under Styhon Battersea's ownership.
Hoot Middle East & Africa was formed out of the consolidation of African assets owned by Orange SA, Altice and Viettel Global, which OWL acquired shortly before founding Orange Africa. Nexttel in Cameroon was merged into Orange Cameroon during the consolidation.
Around 2021, Styhon Battersea announced to merge into Vuori, which caused Vuori to consider merging it's African operations with Hoot's African operations. Airtel Africa, Vodacom, Hoot Middle East & Africa, Africell, Moov, Mascom, Maroc Telecom, Zain, Batelco, Vodafone Africa and MTN Group soon were consolidated into Orange in 2021, under a joint venture between OWL and Vuori.
Ownership structure
Hoot and Crown settled on the former getting a majority stake, since they owned all rights to the Orange brand. Orange Africa works as a licensee.
- Hoot (35%)
- Crown (34%)
- Saudi government through GOSI, TeleInvest and PIF (18%)
- Governments of Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain and Burkina Faso (7% held collectively under Orange Africa Holdings Limited)
- Emirati government (3%)
- Viettel (3%)
Presence
| Country | Year when founded/branded as Orange | Formerly known as |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 2021 | Etisalat (2007-2021) MTN (2008-2021) |
| Angola | 2021 | Movicel (2003-2021) |
| Algeria | 2021 | Djeezy (2001-2021) Ooredoo: Nedjma (2004-2013) Ooredoo (2013-2021) |
| Bahrain | 2021 | Batelco (1981-2021) Zain: MTC-Vodafone (2003-200?) Zain (200?-2021) |
| Benin | 2021 | Spacetel (????-2006) MTN (2006-2021) Moov (????-2021) |
| Botswana | 2003 | Vista Cellular (1998-2003) MASCOM (1998-2021) |
| Burkina Faso | 2016 | Onatel (1994-2021) |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 2012 | Vodacom (2002-2021) Africell (2012-2021) Orange DRC: Congo Chine Télécoms (2001-2012) Airtel DRC: Celtel (2007) Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Cameroon | 2002 | MTN (2000-2021) Nexttel (2014-2021) Orange Cameroon: Mobilis (1999-2002) |
| Central African Republic | 2007 | Moov (2005-2021) |
| Chad | 2021 | Tigo (2005-2021) Airtel: Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Republic of the Congo | 2021 | MTN (2000-2021) Airtel: MSI Cellular Investments (1998-2004) Celtel (2004-2007) Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Egypt | 2016 | Mobinil (1998-2016) Etisalat Misr (2007-2021) |
| Eswatini | 2021 | MTN (1998-2021) |
| Gabon | 2021 | Moov (2000?-2021) Gabon Telecom/Libertis (1999-2021) Airtel: Celtel (2000-2007) Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Gambia | 2021 | Africell (2001-2021) |
| Ghana | 2021 | MTN (1994-2021) AirtelTigo: Airtel (1990?-2017) Tigo (1991-2017) AirtelTigo (2017-2021) Vodafone: Ghana Telecom (1974-2009) Vodafone (2009-2021) |
| Guinea | 2007 | MTN (2006?-2021) |
| Guinea-Bissau | 2008? | Spacetel (1994-2006) MTN (2006-2021) |
| Iraq | 2021 | Asiacell (1999-2021) Zain: MTC-Vodafone (2003?-2007) Zain (2008-2021) |
| Ivory Coast | 2002 | Ivoiris (1996-2002) MTN (1996-2021) Moov (2006-2021) |
| Jordan | 2021 | Fastlink (1994-2007?) Zain (2007?-2021) |
| Kenya | 1999 (original) 2021 (current) |
Orange Kenya: Telkom Kenya (2011-present) Airtel: Celtel (2000-2007) Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Kuwait | 2021 | MTC (1983-2007) Zain (2007-2021) |
| Lebanon | 2021 | Touch (2004-2021) |
| Lesotho | 2021 | Vodacom (1996-2021) |
| Liberia | 2017 | Cellcom (2004-2017) Lonestar Cell (2000-2021) |
| Madagascar | 2003 | Antaris (1998-2003) Airtel: Madacom (1997-2006) Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Malawi | 2021 | Celtel (1999-2007) Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Mali | 2006 | Ikatel (2003-2006) |
| Morocco | 2016 | Meditel (1999-2016) Maroc Telecom (1998-2021) Inwi (Zain): Wanadoo Maroc/Wanadoo Connect (1999-2004) Maroc Connect (2004-2009) Inwi (2009-2021) |
| Mozambique | 2021 | Vodacom (2003-2021) |
| Niger | 2008 |
Moov (2000?-2021) |
| Nigeria | 2021 | MTN (1994?-2021) Airtel: Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Oman | 2021 | Oman Future Telecommunications/Vodafone Oman (2018-2021) Ooredoo: Nawras (2004-2015) Ooredoo (2015-2021) |
| Qatar | 2021 | Vodafone (2008-2021) Ooredoo: Qtel (1987-2013) Ooredoo (2013-2021) |
| Reunion | 2000 | |
| Rwanda | 2021 | MTN Rwandacell (Crystal Telecom Rwanda)
Tigo Airtel |
| Saudi Arabia | 2021 | Zain (2008-2021) |
| Senegal | 2021 | Sentel (1999-2006) Tigo (2006-2021) |
| Seychelles | 2021 | Telecom Seychelles (1998-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Sierra Leone | 2017 | Africell (2005-2021) Airtel: Celtel (1998?-2007) Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2017) |
| South Africa | 2021 | Cell C (2001-2021) MTN (1994-2021) |
| South Sudan | 2021 | MTN Sudan (2005-2011?) MTN South Sudan (2011?-2021) Sudani: Sudatel (1993-2011) Sudani (2011-2021) Zain: Mobitel (1996-2007) Zain (2007-2021) |
| St. Helena and Ascension Island | 2021 | Sure Mobile (????-2021) |
| Sudan | 2021 | MTN (2005-2021) Sudatel (1993-2021) Zain: Mobitel (1996-2007) Zain (2007-2021) |
| Syria | 2021 | Areeba (2001-2007) MTN (2007-2021) |
| Tanzania | 2021 | Vodacom (2000-2021) Tigo: Mobitel (1994-2006) Tigo (2006-2021) Airtel: Celtel (????-2007) Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
| Togo | 2021 | Moov (2002-2021) |
| Tunisia | 2009 | Tunisiana (2004-2014) Ooredoo Tunisie (2014-2021) |
| Uganda | 2008 (original) 2021 (current) |
Orange Uganda: Africell (2014-2021) Airtel: Zain (2008-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) MTN: MTN (1998-2021) |
| United Arab Emirates | 2021 | Etisalat (1976-2021) |
| Yemen | 2021 | Spacetel (2000-2007) MTN (2007-2021) |
| Zambia | 2021 | MTN (1994?-2021) Airtel: Zain (2007-2010) Airtel (2010-2021) |
They have joint ventures with Ericsson and Siemens to improve Orange's networks in Middle East and Africa.
Subsidiaries and stakes
- Roshan (12.25%) - Afghanistan; inherited from Telia Company acquisition
- Expresso Telecom (75%) - Ghana and Senegal
- Tunisie Telecom - 15% stake; Tunisia, acquired in 2020
- GoMalta - 60% stake; Malta
- Telecel - 60% stake; Zimbabwe
- Safaricom - 40% stake; Kenya
- 9mobile - majority stake; Nigeria
- Mobily - 27% stake; Saudi Arabia
- CST (51%) - São Tomé and Príncipe
- MTC (34%) - Namibia
- Mauritius Telecom (40%) - Mauritius
- Orange Mauritius
- Sonatel (42%) - Senegal
- Kenya Postel Directories (60%) - Kenya
- Sabafon (~27%) - Yemen
- Korek Telecom (20%) - Iraqi Kurdistan
- Getesa (40%) - Equatorial Guinea
- CV Móvel (40%) - Cabo Verde
- MTN Irancell - 49/51 joint venture with Iran Electronic Development Company
- Holding Company MTN Libya - 50/50 joint venture with the Libyan Post Telecommunications & Information Technology Company, formed from the merger between MTN Group's operations in Libya, and Al-Madar
- Ufone - 26% stake; Pakistan
- Umniah - Jordan
- Unitel - Angola
- Multitel (40%) - ISP
- ELTA (55%) - phone directory company
- Lumitel - Burundi
- Africell - Gambia
- Mauritel - Mauritania
- Jazz - Pakistan
- Movitel - Mozambique
- Halotel - Tanzania
- Chinguitel - Mauritania
- Jordan Telecom Group
- Jordan Telecom
- Jordan
- Sotelma/Malitel - 15% owned by the Mali government
- Somali Telecom Group
- Styhon Battersea Telecommunications Network Development Company - a consortium-like joint venture with Djibouti Telecom, Ethio Telecom and Eritel, through which they will improve mobile services and also offer them through either their new brand "Africom" and the Vodafone brand, depending on the provider
- Vodafone Egypt
- Ooredoo Palestine
- MTN Mobile Money
- tigo Pesa
- Mobi Cash
- JazzCash
- Flous - mobile payment service