PARTNER INTERVIEW: Ahead of Mobile 360 Africa, Bruno Mettling, chairman of Orange Middle East and Africa (pictured, below), spoke to Mobile World Live about the company’s work in the energy sector – a key enabler for the continent’s digital transformation.

MWL: Can you provide us with an overview of Orange’s energy proposition, including how you are progressing with the availability?
BM: Orange Energie consists of equipment which is a kit including a solar panel; a battery and accessories; LED lightbulbs; and kit to recharge several telephones, a radio and/or television.

The solar kits that Orange is offering are robust and can light up a whole house, charge the household’s mobile phones and power a radio or even a television. Quick and easy to set-up, all you need to do is install a solar panel on the roof and a control unit in the house. Users also benefit from a full guarantee from Orange, which covers the entire installation, maintenance and repairs, in conjunction with technical partners.

This opens up a world of possibilities for the populations who did not have easy access to readily available energy before. For example, children will be able to do their homework in the evening and professionals will gain in efficiency.

The payment is very easy thanks to Orange Money and depending on their needs, the customers can choose whether to have a weekly, monthly or quarterly subscription.

The monthly subscriptions start at $15, for example in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Payment via Orange Money makes it possible to automatically grant or re-establish the service remotely for the requested period.

After the launch of Orange Energie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in December 2017, then Mijro in Madagascar in February and rural zones in Burkina Faso in March, Orange Energy has been launched in June and July 2018 in Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire.

Why has Orange decided to work in the energy sector across Africa, and how does it fit with your core telecoms proposition?
Orange’s strategy is to be the multi services operator in Africa and to be the key partner for the continent’s digital transformation.

To do that, our strategy is to provide essential services for the population through digital technology. It started ten years ago with mobile money which has completely changed people’s lives. Now thanks to mobile money we can provide more services that bring essential services such as access to electricity. It also means that mobile phones can be charged in the house. Which, in turn, means that people can benefit from digital services for health, agriculture and education which are going to improve further their daily lives.

So access to energy is a key enabler, just like mobile money.

The energy sector is a significant opportunity for Orange’s plan for diversification in Africa where it is particularly difficult to access reliable sources of electricity. Especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 70 per cent of the population does not have access to the power grid and power cuts are frequent, even in large cities.

Solar Home Systems are also a contribution to the fight against climate change which is crucial everywhere, but in particular in Africa.

What strengths is Orange able to bring to this market?
Orange has a significant customer base and a strong brand. Orange is present in 20 countries in Africa and the Middle East where it has over 130 million customers (December 2017). It is very important to note that Orange is implemented locally and has detailed and profound knowledge of the different markets where we operate.

There are 900,000 Orange resellers across the continent, close to our customers.

This zone is a strategic priority for the Group and generated €5 billion in sales in 2017.

Also, as explained before, we have a flagship mobile-based money transfer and financial services offer, Orange Money, which is available in 17 countries and has over 37 million customers. It is clearly a key asset to bring essential services to the populations such as access to electricity. Orange Money also has very significant physical distribution capacity with 150,000 Orange Money points of presence.

Finally, the Orange brand is very powerful. Its philosophy is: “it is all about what matters to you”. Clearly this fits completely with our ambition to be the multi services operator in Africa and with our digital solutions including the Orange Energy offer.

How are you working with partners to deliver energy services across your footprint?
Orange has selected partners for the quality of their products and their ability to respond to massive demand.

We are working with the following start-ups: mainly BBOXX in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal; Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, and Guinea; and D Light in Madagascar; or Niwa/Angaza in Burkina Faso.

What are your plans for developing Orange’s energy portfolio in future, in terms of both products and markets?
We have just reached a key milestone with the launch of the service in four new countries (Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire). The next step will involve the massive deployment of the Orange Energy service in other countries across Orange’s footprint and the sale of several hundred thousand kits in the next five years.

We are also working on other initiatives on top of the solar kits, but which are still early stages. For example a solar grid linked with a telecom tower. This kind of micro/minigrids could provide electricity for village communities.

Remember, Orange wants to be much more than a telecoms operator in Africa. We want to be a provider of essential services for our customers. The development of solutions that allow as many people as possible to access everyday essentials such as sustainable energy is a strong message in this direction.