Nearly two years after taking over as head of Orange Bank Africa (OBA), Ivorian Jean-Louis Menann-Kouamé is keen to highlight the strength of his digital bank, which the French telecoms operator launched in July 2020 with its partner NSIA, a 25% shareholder. At the beginning of the adventure, however, OBA’s announced ambitions were much greater than they are today. The African digital bank, chaired by Paul de Leusse, director of Orange Bank in Europe, had hoped to reach 10 million customers by 2025, thanks to a rapid launch in Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Jean-Louis Menann-Kouamé: ‘Our success is based on that of Orange Money’

Orange Bank Africa still does not have the authorisation to launch in Senegal, Mali, or Burkina Faso, but its managing director agreed to explain the progress of the African digital bank in Côte d'Ivoire, where it has already attracted 800,000 customers.