Overview
Orange Money is the leading mobile wallet service operating across 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East. As part of the Orange Group, it provides millions of customers—many of whom are unbanked—with secure and convenient financial services, including domestic and international transfers, bill payments, and merchant transactions. While Orange Money initially served as a payment platform, it has expanded into more advanced financial solutions through strategic partnerships, including credit.
The Challenge
While mobile wallets have revolutionised access to financial services in Africa, a major challenge remained: many Orange Money users had limited access to credit. Without a credit history or traditional banking relationships, these customers were excluded from financial services that could help them handle unexpected expenses, grow their businesses, or manage short-term cash flow needs.
Orange Money recognised the need for a fast, accessible, and responsible digital lending solution. However, several challenges had to be addressed:
Assessing the creditworthiness of individuals without traditional financial records or banking data.
Ensuring regulatory compliance while enabling real-time loan disbursements.
Seamlessly integrating credit products into its existing mobile wallet ecosystem without complicating the user experience.
With these challenges in mind, Orange Money partnered with a technology expert in alternative credit scoring and digital lending: Ezra.
The Solution
Orange Money launched N’stakolle in partnership with Ezra and Access Bank Botswana, the first nano-loan product directly embedded into the Orange Money wallet.
This initiative leveraged Ezra’s expertise in digital credit solutions and alternative data-driven risk assessment to create a lending experience tailored to Africa’s unique financial landscape.
How It Works:
Seamless Integration: Customers can apply for and receive loans through the Orange Money app. and Max’ IT application
AI-Powered Credit Scoring: Ezra’s proprietary credit algorithms and AI-driven models assess customer risk using mobile usage patterns and transaction history—without requiring traditional bank data.
Instant Access: Approved customers receive micro-loans in real-time, providing immediate financial flexibility.
Responsible Lending: Loan terms are designed to ensure affordability, reducing default risk while driving financial inclusion.
This streamlined access to credit has a direct impact on users’ daily lives: a market vendor can restock quickly, a transport operator can refuel immediately and continue picking up passengers, and a farmer can secure seeds at the right time to sustain their live hood.
The Impact
By collaborating with Ezra and Access Bank, Orange Money has proven that technology and innovation can transform credit access for underbanked communities—effectively, responsibly, and at scale.
The success of N’stakolle, with over 1 million customers* and more than $125 million in loans disbursed* since launch in 2022, highlights its impact on underserved communities by providing responsible and accessible credit. By utilizing advanced credit-scoring technology and strategic partnerships, this initiative not only expands financial access but also empowers individuals and small businesses to secure a better financial future.
1 million +
Customers
$125 million
Loans disbursed
*End of December 2024
