Multi-service telecoms operator, Orange has opened its IoT digital platform to energy suppliers across Africa and the Middle East, facilitating the tracking of payments, solar kits, and smart meters in rural areas. The initiative aims to enhance the adoption of its services and increase access to electricity in developing regions.

The platform, known as Orange Smart Energies, enables suppliers to monitor equipment and addresses profitability challenges by reducing instances of non-payment from energy consumers. Payments are facilitated through Orange Money, the company’s mobile money platform, and supports both pay-as-you-go solar equipment and prepaid smart meters. Launched in 2017, Orange Energies currently serves 300,000 households across 12 markets, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Jerome Henique, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, emphasized the strategic use of digital technology to improve energy inclusion in African communities, stating, “Using digital technology to improve the energy inclusion of African people has been our ambition since day one. By opening up our Orange Smart Energies platform to all energy producers, we are taking a major step forward in our commitment to universal access to energy in Africa and the Middle East.”

Nat-Sy Missamou, Senior Vice President of Orange Energies for Africa and the Middle East, highlighted the platform’s role in supporting energy producers to sustain their operations in African markets. “We are working with energy producers to help them sustain their business in African markets. Leveraging existing digital and financial inclusion solutions, our pay-as-you-go service is delivered through a distribution model tailored to African markets,” he said