Orange and AFD Forge Strategic Pact to Advance Digital Inclusion Across Africa
This new unprecedented agreement with a telecom operator aims to strengthen cooperation between the two groups to promote access to digital services, support innovation and accelerate the environmental transition in the common territories of intervention.
The Orange Group and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) group have announced the signing of a framework partnership agreement making Orange the leading player in digital technology at VivaTech 2025. This new unprecedented agreement with a telecom operator aims to strengthen cooperation between the two groups to promote access to digital services, support innovation and accelerate the environmental transition in the common territories of intervention.
Christel Heydemann, Chief Executive Officer of Orange, Rémy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer of AFD Group and Françoise Lombard, Chief Executive Officer of Proparco, have signed an unprecedented partnership agreement to jointly accelerate digital inclusion and sustainable digital development. Lasting 3 years, the agreement provides a structuring framework for the exchange of expertise and the emergence of joint projects internationally. It covers 17 countries in the Africa-Middle East region where Orange is present, as well as Moldova and the overseas departments. Priority themes include:
- The digital inclusion of populations through the deployment of strategic infrastructures (backbones, which are the nerve centres of a very high-speed network, submarine cables)
- Financial and energy inclusion and access to e-services (agriculture, health, education), especially in rural areas
- Reducing the environmental footprint of digital technology
- Training and professional integration through digital technology
- Support for innovation and entrepreneurship
- Forward-looking reflections on the ethical use and security of data as well as artificial intelligence for development
As a multi-service operator and a leading partner in the digital transformation of the Africa and Middle East region, Orange has already opened 16 Orange Digital Centers and 32 Orange Digital Centers Clubs in partnership with universities: all free ecosystems accessible to all, in favor of the digital inclusion of young people and the development of entrepreneurship.
AFD Group supports public authorities, businesses, civil society and innovative ecosystems in their trajectories towards a freer, more accessible and more responsible digital world. Alongside them, he deploys the full potential of digital solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With this expertise, the Orange and AFD groups have been working together for more than 20 years on several joint projects, such as supporting the deployment of fixed and mobile telecoms networks for Orange subsidiaries in Jordan and Senegal, teaching young people about digital tools through the Orange Foundations in CĂ´te d’Ivoire, Guinea, Madagascar and Tunisia, and supporting the coding training programmes of the Orange Digital Centers in Jordan.
This partnership will strengthen synergies and increase the dissemination of best practices and innovations in the digital sector. This is a renewed ambition: to work together for digital equality and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovative solutions and collaborative initiatives.
On the occasion of the signing of this agreement, Christel Heydemann, Chief Executive Officer of Orange, said: “This strategic partnership with AFD Group marks an important step in our collaboration. I am delighted to continue this dynamic of international cooperation for a more inclusive and sustainable digital world, which reinforces Orange’s commitment to promoting access to digital technology wherever we are present.”
“AFD Group is convinced that digital technology is a lever for sustainable development and transformation in sectors as varied as public services, education, health and entrepreneurship. This first strategic partnership with Orange illustrates a shared ambition: to support digital sovereignty for the benefit of local populations, by investing in innovative, inclusive and responsible solutions.”
–RĂ©my Rioux, Chief Executive Officer, AFD Group
“Proparco, AFD Group’s subsidiary dedicated to the private sector, is fully committed to continuing to strengthen the partnership with Orange, both strategically and operationally. By combining our networks, expertise and resources, we are resolutely working to promote access to digital technology for as many people as possible in France and in emerging and developing countries.”
–Françoise Lombard, Chief Executive Officer, Proparco
