Abidjan, Ivory Coast – Orange Money Group has teamed up with fintech company JUMO to roll out microcredit services across Africa, marking a major push to serve the continent’s unbanked population through mobile-based lending.
Why it matters
The partnership brings together Orange Money’s massive mobile wallet user base and JUMO’s AI-driven credit risk technology to expand access to short-term credit in markets where traditional banking is out of reach.
The big picture
- Orange Money has 100M+ customers across 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
- In 2024, it processed over €160 billion in transactions.
- JUMO has disbursed $8B+ in loans to over 31 million African users.
How it works
Customers will be able to apply for credit directly via their Orange Money wallet — either through the mobile app or USSD. Here’s the flow:
- User requests a loan.
- JUMO’s AI reviews transaction data to assess eligibility.
- Funds are instantly deposited into the wallet upon approval.
- Repayment happens automatically under agreed terms.
What they’re saying
“By partnering with JUMO, we aim to accelerate this momentum, roll out these services across a wide range of countries, and deliver support that is even faster, more transparent, and better tailored to our customers,” said Aminata Kane, CEO of Orange Money Group.
“This collaboration will connect Orange customers with products from the market-leading banks that run on our platform,” said Andrew Watkins-Ball, JUMO CEO and founder.
What’s next
- First launch expected in Burkina Faso, followed by Mali and Botswana.
- The offering includes short-term and installment loans for both consumers and merchants.
- JUMO’s platform will enable Orange Money to scale across multiple countries, funders, and product types — creating a new digital microfinance marketplace in Francophone Africa.
Between the lines
JUMO claims its AI models can reduce lending risk to under 4%, unlocking sustainable credit at scale for customers without bank accounts, collateral, or formal credit history.
Learn more about other African tech startups on Labari Insights, our data repository for tech in Africa: insights.techlabari.com
