As part of this collaboration, Orange and Digital Africa will work to identify and select promising tech startups across the African continent. Selected startups will be able to access a range of resources, including mentoring programs, technical support, funding, and networking opportunities through the Orange Digital Center and the Digital Africa community.

 

The Orange Digital Centers (ODC) are ecosystems in 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East and 8 countries in Europe, that support, train, and guide young people and those with innovative ideas, to enhance their employability and prepare them for the jobs of the future (AI, cybersecurity, etc.) or encourage them to become digital entrepreneurs.

The Orange Digital Centers bring together a range of free programs open to everyone all in one place, from digital training for young people to startup acceleration, as well as support and investment for project leaders.

To intensify its activities to develop digital entrepreneurship in the priority areas of each country: environment, e-agri, e-health, e-commerce… The Orange Digital Centers are entering today a new phase, ODC 2.0, with a special focus on women and the digitally excluded.

 

Digital Africa’s mission is to strengthen the capacity of African entrepreneurs to design and deploy digital innovations at scale for the real economy. Acting as a catalyst, Digital Africa brings together a range of partners of all nationalities - startups, researchers, incubators, institutional investors, venture capitalists, cluster techs - all committed to African digital entrepreneurs, and foremost among them is Proparco, as sole shareholder.

 

Digital Africa’s operational approach is based on a clear diagnosis of entrepreneurs’ needs, directly from the field, to develop a set of programs around three main priorities:

  • Strengthening the skills and tools needed to launch a startup, through access to trained local talent and data.
  • Facilitating access to seed funding by implementing agile funding schemes such as the creation of investor communities.
  • Supporting "made in Africa" innovation policies that are favorable to innovative digital entrepreneurs in Africa, as well as supporting the production of knowledge on digital issues in Africa.

 

Leveraging the vast network of Orange Digital Centers and Digital Africa, startups will be connected to potential investors, partners and customers, enabling them to develop their business and accelerate their growth.

 

Through this partnership, Orange and Digital Africa will continue to contribute to the development of a thriving startup ecosystem in Africa. By providing young entrepreneurs with the tools, knowledge and support they need, this collaboration aims to empower them to turn their innovative ideas into successful businesses. It is part of their shared commitment to promote digital innovation "made in Africa" and to foster socio-economic development on the continent.

At the signing ceremony, representatives from Orange and Digital Africa expressed their enthusiasm and commitment to the success of this partnership. They emphasized the importance of nurturing local talent, promoting digital inclusion, and unlocking the immense potential of African startups.

 

"Digital talent is key to transforming the African continent. This partnership with the Orange Digital Centers aligns with our strategy for identifying promising entrepreneurs locally and helping them to access support, funding, and lobbying tools through an international network of allies,” said Isadora Bigourdan, CEO of Digital Africa.

Jérôme Hénique, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, added: "We are very excited to launch this collaboration with Digital Africa, as it adds an essential component to our existing Orange Digital Centers network, facilitating access to flexible financing solutions specifically designed to meet the needs of seed-stage entrepreneurs. This collaboration represents real added value and will help stimulate the growth of the African startup ecosystem.”

About Orange

About Orange Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. The Group aims to be the trusted partner for everyday digital life by providing individuals, businesses and communities with reliable connectivity and innovative services. As of the end of 2025, Orange connects 340 million customers (including MasOrange) across 26 countries and generated 40.4 billion euros in revenues.
As a trusted player, Orange leverages the excellence of its very high-speed broadband networks to deploy digital infrastructure in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The Group is a European leader in fiber, with 100 million connectable households, and convergent offers. In France, Orange connects 34 million customers and was ranked No. 1 by the regulator Arcep for the quality of its mobile network for the 15th consecutive year. In Africa and the Middle East, the Group’s growth engine, Orange serves nearly 180 million customers and promotes digital and financial inclusion through its connected solutions.
Under the Orange Business brand, the Group supports companies in transforming their networks as well as in AI, trusted cloud and cybersecurity. Orange is also a major player in the wholesale market, where it has a leading global telecom infrastructure and significant capabilities for deploying and operating submarine cables. A committed innovator, Orange relies on 700 researchers and holds a portfolio of 11,000 patents.

Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA). More information: www.orange.com. 

Orange and any other Orange product or service names mentioned in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.