Telecoms giant Orange is preparing to re-enter the South African and Nigerian markets within months to pursue significant growth opportunities in both countries.
Speaking to the French financial daily Les Echos, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard said:
“It could make sense to be in economies such as Nigeria and South Africa.
If one considers there are things to do, the time frame I am considering is rather a few months than a few years.”
Orange previously had a presence in South Africa, though primarily in retail and handset repair services. The group withdrew from the market in November 2016, but recent comments from management indicate an intention to establish a renewed foothold.
Africa and the Middle East are currently Orange’s fastest-growing regions. The France-based operator now operates across 18 countries in those areas and is increasingly focused on expanding traditional telecoms offerings alongside its existing services.
A significant portion of Orange’s revenue in the Middle East and Africa stems from payment transfers and mobile financial services. Management sees further upside by broadening the company’s core connectivity and telecom services in markets with large, under-penetrated customer bases.
One historic constraint for new mobile operators in South Africa has been limited access to radio spectrum. The ongoing delay in switching from analogue to digital terrestrial television has kept certain frequency bands tied up by broadcasting, slowing the release of spectrum for mobile broadband expansion.
When asked about reported interest in South Africa’s MTN Group Ltd., Richard did not comment. For context, Orange serves roughly 208 million subscribers globally, while MTN reports about 257 million subscribers, underscoring the scale of competition in the region.
Orange’s stated timeline of a matter of months signals active planning and a strategic push to capitalize on strong demographic trends, rising data consumption, and growing demand for digital services across Nigeria and South Africa. If realized, a re-entry would mark a notable move by one of Europe’s largest telecom operators to deepen its presence in two of Africa’s most important markets.