Main trends
Mobile payment systems are gaining momentum thanks to Orange, which in 2010 launched the brand name Orange Money and to SOTELMA /MALITEL , which launched the brand Mobicash in 2014. The two platforms total 5.8 million accounts at the end of 2017, of which 3.9 million belong to Orange (67 percent) and 1.8 million to SOTELMA/ MALITEL(33 percent). It is important to note that the mobile payment system put in place by the two operators contributes significantly to ensuring financial inclusion, especially in rural areas.
Mobile money account holders can avail of several types of services including money transfer (national and international), bill payments and merchant payments. The interoperability of mobile payment platforms between operators is not effective yet and the third operator has not yet set up its own system. On the other hand, the Orange Money platform offers financial transactions with certain banks in the area, including the deposit and withdrawal of money from a bank account connected to an Orange Money account.